Koren Siddur
Encyclopedia
The Koren Siddur refers to a family of siddur
im published by Koren Publishers Jerusalem
beginning in 1981.
Eliyahu Koren began work on a new prayerbook in the 1970s. Koren created Koren Book Type
for the project, and an innovative design for which the siddur would become famous. Rather than allow the text to run continuously across page turns, Koren maintained lines and paragraphs within individual pages. He set individual sentences line by line, according to their meaning. The result was a prayerbook, published in 1981, that facilitated uninterrupted prayer and elucidated the underlying meaning of the text. The siddur became one of the most widely used Hebrew
-only prayerbooks. In 2009, Koren Publishers Jerusalem introduced a new Hebrew/English
edition of the Koren Siddur, the Koren Sacks Siddur (below), with an introduction, translation, and commentary by the Chief Rabbi
of the United Kingdom
, Lord
Jonathan Sacks
.
-English
edition of the popular Koren Siddur, edited and annotated by Chief Rabbi of the British Commonwealth Jonathan Sacks
. It was first published in 2009, signaling Koren's entry into the English-language siddur market, long dominated by ArtScroll
. The Koren Sacks aims to fill a niche by becoming the main prayer text in Modern Orthodox congregations. The siddur has also been well received by non-Orthodox Jews. As of now, the Koren Sacks Siddur is only available in Nusach Ashkenaz
.
In May 2009, Rabbi Sacks was on a speaking tour in the United States
to promote the siddur. Sacks told The Baltimore Sun
that he aimed for a "new, simple, straightforward, . . . reasonably lucid translation—one that captured a little of the rhythms of the Hebrew itself and gave a little of the poetry of the more poetic prayers". He said that his commentary is intended to "shed some light on the inner logic of the prayers",
Siddur
A siddur is a Jewish prayer book, containing a set order of daily prayers. This article discusses how some of these prayers evolved, and how the siddur, as it is known today has developed...
im published by Koren Publishers Jerusalem
Koren Publishers Jerusalem
Koren Publishers Jerusalem is an Israeli publisher of Jewish religious texts. It was established in 1961 by Eliyahu Koren, with the aim of publishing the first Hebrew Bible designed, edited, printed, and bound by Jews in nearly 500 years...
beginning in 1981.
Eliyahu Koren began work on a new prayerbook in the 1970s. Koren created Koren Book Type
Koren Type
Koren Type refers to two Hebrew fonts, Koren Bible Type and Hebrew Book Type created by Israeli typographer and graphic designer Elyahu Koren. Koren created Koren Bible Type for the specific purpose of printing The Koren Bible, published by Koren Publishers Jerusalem in 1962...
for the project, and an innovative design for which the siddur would become famous. Rather than allow the text to run continuously across page turns, Koren maintained lines and paragraphs within individual pages. He set individual sentences line by line, according to their meaning. The result was a prayerbook, published in 1981, that facilitated uninterrupted prayer and elucidated the underlying meaning of the text. The siddur became one of the most widely used Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
-only prayerbooks. In 2009, Koren Publishers Jerusalem introduced a new Hebrew/English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
edition of the Koren Siddur, the Koren Sacks Siddur (below), with an introduction, translation, and commentary by the Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Lord
Lord
Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
Jonathan Sacks
Jonathan Sacks
Jonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks, Kt is the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. His Hebrew name is Yaakov Zvi...
.
Koren Siddurim
Eliyahu Koren's philosophy regarding the siddur can be summed up in his statement that, "The prayers are presented in a style that does not encourage habit and hurry, but rather inspires the worshipper to engage both mind and heart in prayer." The Koren Siddur thus employs a subdued, elegant layout throughout, and uses a poetry-line format in many of the included prayers.Koren Sacks Siddur
The Koren Sacks Siddur is the HebrewHebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
-English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
edition of the popular Koren Siddur, edited and annotated by Chief Rabbi of the British Commonwealth Jonathan Sacks
Jonathan Sacks
Jonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks, Kt is the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. His Hebrew name is Yaakov Zvi...
. It was first published in 2009, signaling Koren's entry into the English-language siddur market, long dominated by ArtScroll
ArtScroll
ArtScroll is an imprint of translations, books and commentaries from an Orthodox Jewish perspective published by Mesorah Publications, Ltd., a publishing company based in Brooklyn, New York...
. The Koren Sacks aims to fill a niche by becoming the main prayer text in Modern Orthodox congregations. The siddur has also been well received by non-Orthodox Jews. As of now, the Koren Sacks Siddur is only available in Nusach Ashkenaz
Nusach Ashkenaz
Nusach Ashkenaz is a style of Jewish religious service conducted by Ashkenazi Jews, originating from Central and Western Europe.It is primarily a way to order and include prayers, and differs from Nusach Sefard , and still more from the Sephardic rite proper, in the placement and presence of...
.
In May 2009, Rabbi Sacks was on a speaking tour in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to promote the siddur. Sacks told The Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun is the U.S. state of Maryland’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries....
that he aimed for a "new, simple, straightforward, . . . reasonably lucid translation—one that captured a little of the rhythms of the Hebrew itself and gave a little of the poetry of the more poetic prayers". He said that his commentary is intended to "shed some light on the inner logic of the prayers",