This Friday night edition of Siddur Sim Shalom successfully combines the Conservative / Masorti Movement’s commitment to traditional liturgy and community connection by providing a complete transliteration to the text of the Friday night services, as well as commentary that explains the meaning of the prayers.

One of the most central and, at the same time, potentially inaccessible segments of Conservative / Masorti synagogue life is prayer. Because services are conducted almost entirely in Hebrew, many Jews simply lack the Hebrew literacy to participate, but transliteration can help feel comfortable and part of the community. This siddur is about giving people the tools and skills they need to participate in and feel a full part of our Jewish community. It is a way to open the door to deeper participation for all who attend our services.

The Hebrew text and English translations are in the center of each page, and on the right margin alongside the Hebrew text is a complete transliteration. An additional column on the left facing pages presents explanations of the prayers selected from the book of commentary Or Hadash. Page numbers in Siddur Sim Shalom for Friday Night correspond with the page numbers in Siddur Sim Shalom for Shabbat & Festivals to seamlessly integrate the use of this siddur within congregational services.

The transliteration follows rules that have been developed in the academic world and have been applied in the most recent publications of the Conservative / Masorti Movement. The transliteration strives to facilitate accurate pronunciation of the Hebrew. As a result, you will find that exceptions have occasionally been made for ease of pronunciation. There are also some transliterations that are so widely known that they have been used (e.g. kaddish and not kadish).