The Koren Sacks Siddur edited translated and commentary by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Koren Publishing, 2009. Standard Size. 1200 pages

Since the printing of the revolutionary Tanach in 1962, Eliyahu Koren and Koren Publishing have helped usher Jewish printing into a new era of artistry and spirituality. In 1981 they furthered the legacy with the first printing of the Koren Siddur, a prayer book that treated the prayers as poetry laying them out in an artistic way that made them easier to read and understand.

Now with the help of the Chief Rabbi of England Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks, that wonderful siddur has been translated into English providing a beautiful and informative prayer book that appeals to the modern Zionist Jew. The font is the same beautifully designed font Eliyau used in 1981, and is printed in what Koren Publishing calls their “Bible” paper, which has added high cotton and linen fibers to increase strength yet maintain thinness.

Some of the innovative features of this new siddur include emphasizing the phrasing of the Tefilot with line breaks. Likewise, blessings are presented in two lines in order to emphasize the meaning. As a surprise, the Hebrew text of the prayers is on the left hand side of the page and the English is on the right. This, say the editors, allows the text to flow more freely. There are many additional prayers included, such as the Hallel which appears in the service for Yom Haatzmaut, Israel Independence day.

An annotated prayer book, the source for many of the texts of various prayers is located in the margins, as opposed to the body of the text in other Siddurim. Also included is a halachic guide for visitors to Israel that emphasizes the centrality of Jerusalem.

Most notably the translation conforms with the modern Israeli pronunciation of Hebrew. That means the hard taf sound not the soft ess which is a hallmark of Ashkenazi pronunciation. A Zionist Siddur, the Koren Sacks Siddur has been endorsed by the Union of Orthodox Rabbis.

All in all this is a special siddur that will only add to the legacy of Koren and bring a new way of thinking about prayers to a new generation of Jews.

About the Editor, Translator, Commentator:
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks is one of the most original thinkers and articulate writers in the Jewish world today. Educated at Cambridge University and Jews College London, he has been Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth since 1991. Rabbi Sacks is the author of many books of Jewish thought.

Koren Sacks Siddur Website

This book is available at:
Gur Arieh Bookstore, Yoel Solomon St 8, Jerusalem
Tel: 02-625-7486. Fax: 02-625-4265

Books can be ordered from eLuna.co, for delivery in Israel only.