Synopses & Reviews
For nearly half a century, liturgy in the Reform movement has been shaped by the work of Rabbi Chaim Stern. His poetry adorned many prayer books and his skills at translating and editing the poetry of others gave wings to the prayers of the simple and the great. Jews today quote English passages of his prayer books almost as freely as we quote Bible or Talmud. His book "On the Doorposts is a staple in Reform Jewish homes. His modern translations in "The Haftarah Commentary of the prophetic passages used in the synagogue render these essential messages readily understandable. His book "Day by Day is a fount of healing and meditation. Many use his fine Passover Haggadah, "Gates of Freedom, year after year. And the prayer books he authored and coauthored "Service of the Heart, Gates of Prayer, and "Gates of Repentance have been the backbone of Reform liturgy for more than 800 congregations. Rabbi Stern did not live to see the publication of his new prayer book. Instead, in a heroic struggle against time, he devoted the end of his life to putting the final touches on Paths of Faith (Netivot Emunah), completing this work less than a month before his death. The result is a prayer book that is unequaled in the long history of Reform liturgy. There is clarity of thought and clarity of style. Page after page reveals the touch of the master liturgist. The brief devotional thoughts accompanying each of the major prayers enable us to turn our hearts heaven-ward even as we repeat well-known phrases for the hundredth time. The special sections, including prayers for healing, selected psalms, and selections from "Pirke Avot ("The Teachings of Our Ancestors"), touch us equally whether we read themtogether in the synagogue or alone in the privacy of our homes. Paths of Faith is the masterpiece of liturgy that will serve a new generation of Reform and liberal Conservative synagogues.
Synopsis
This historic, gender-sensitive prayer book includes the most comprehensive transliteration of any prayer book in the Reform movement.