Rites of Synagogue Liturgy

Prayer customs and the treasures of liturgical poetry brought to Israel from the Diaspora have been the subject of diverse studies in the past few years, encompassing every community and its customs, every community and its poetry. This classic study, a translation of Leopold Zunz’s Ritus des synagogalen Gottesdienstes, reviews the history of prayer customs of diverse communities from ancient times to the nineteenth century. The author examines the uniqueness of each community, both through the wording of the permanent prayers and through the treasures of liturgical poetry recited in the Middle Ages and the Modern Era. Relations and influential factors between ethnic groups are discussed in detail.

The introductory chapters present the history of Jewish prayer since the Geonic period, including the formation of the first prayer books; the creation of communal manuscripts; the impact of print; and the creation of fixed forms of public prayer. The study takes account of: books of Jewish law dealing with prayer; books of customs; exegeses on prayer and liturgical poetry; translations of Hebrew prayer into other languages; additions to and deletions from liturgical texts; the status and role of the prayer leader; the influence of mysticism and kabbalah; the influences of censorship and the Enlightenment. Other chapters are dedicated to the prayers of Yom Kippur, the status of Slichot prayers, debates on integrating liturgical poetry into public prayers, and a description of the Karaite prayer book.

For many years, Zunz’s study, originally published in 1859, served as a fundamental textbook for research on the history of prayer. This contemporary Hebrew translation includes research updates, many clarifications, and detailed indexes; among them an index of prayers, an index of prayer customs, an index of liturgical poetry, and an index of early manuscripts and printings of the prayer books mentioned in the study. In addition, the Hebrew edition includes notes and additions found on the author's personal copy, never to have been published before.