Siddur Sim Shalom

Siddur Sim Shalom may refer to any siddur in a family of Jewish prayerbooks released by the Rabbinical Assembly and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

iddur Sim Shalom

The first Siddur Sim Shalom was edited by Rabbi Jules Harlow, and published in 1985. This is the first siddur in which the beliefs and theology of Conservative Judaism were fully made explicit. While very traditional when compared to the prayerbooks of Reform Judaism, this siddur does contain a number of notable departures from the text used in Orthodox Judaism.

It contains services for weekdays, Shabbat and Jewish festivals. In accord with Conservative theology is contains prayers and services for Israel Independence Day and Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day). It is egalitarian in usage, e.g. offering prayers for the wearing of tefillin and tallitot in both feminine and masculine form.

The pocket edition also includes weekday Torah readings.

iddur Sim Shalom for Shabbat and Festivals

Siddur Sim Shalom for Shabbat and Festivals was edited by Rabbi Lawrence Cahan, and published in 1998. It started as an edition of "Siddur Sim Shalom" just for Shabbat and Festivals (no weekday services). Most of the translations are nearly identical to Harlow's 1985 edition, but this siddur uses gender-sensitive translations of the names of God, and presents the option to use the Imahot (matriarchs) in the Amidah (Shemonah Esrah).

It also restores a few traditional Ashkenazic prayers that were not in the 1985 version, including Rabbi Ishamel's 13 principles of biblical interpretation, the B'rah Dodi poems for Pesach, Ana B'kho-ah at the end of Psalm 29 in Kabbalat Shabbat, and Ushpizin for Sukkot, included in a new, egalitarian version. The Y'hi Ratzon meditation following the Musaf Amidah is restored.

It includes new translations of a number of prayers and poems that were not translated at all in the previous edition, including Akdamut and the Hoshanot (only summaries of these prayers had been given previously.) It offers an easier to follow layout and table of contents; many pages have notes explaining the background and meanings of the prayers; guidelines and instructions on the content, choreography and continuity of the service. There is an increased use of transliteration. It contains a comprehensive section of Shabbat and Holiday home rituals.

iddur Sim Shalom for Weekdays

This was edited by Rabbi Avram Israel Reisner, and published in 2003. This siddur is the companion to "Sim Shalom for Shabbat and Festivals." In the introduction the editor writes::We began with the text of the original Siddur Sim Shalom published in 1985 under the...skillful editorship of Rabbi Jules Harlow whose eloquent and poetic translations inspire this text....Many of the innovations and approaches of the 'Siddur for Shabbat and Festivals' have been adopted here. Whenever possible, pages were reproduced intact, or with minor changes.

This weekday siddur contains Torah reading, inspirational messages, services for the home and includes new materials for special occasions and commemorations.

:We felt keenly that while the miraculous events of the founding of the State of Israel had found fitting expression {in the other Conservative siddurim} the more difficult experience of the Holocaust had yet to find an appropriate place in our prayers, Therefore, we composed a Nahum prayer for Yom Ha-shoah, inspired by that which appeared in Siddur Va-ani Tefillati of the Masorti Movement in 1998. In an insert into the Amidah, similar to that used traditionally on Tisha B'Av, we seek God's comfort in light of our people's losses in Europe during the Holocaust. We felt the need, beyond that, to acknowledge on a daily basis the enormous effect that the Holocaust has had upon our people. At the end of Tahanun papers, in a prayer which reflects our suffering, we added reference to the anguish we still feel.

Or Hadash

"Or Hadash: A Commentary on Siddur Sim Shalom for Shabbat and Festivals" was written by Israel Masorti Rabbi Reuven Hammer, and published in 2003. It contains the complete text of the siddur, surrounded by a comprehensive commentary. The page layout loosely resembles that of the Talmud.

All of these siddurim are available from the United Synagogue Book Service.

http://www.uscj.org/