Pray Tell: A Hadassah Guide to Jewish Prayer

This resource book is divided into two sections. Part I is a step-by-step explanation of all the major traditional prayers (Shema, Amidah, Torah service, etc.) written by Rabbi Jules Harlow, who edited the Conservative movement's definitive siddur (prayer book). This section is very useful if you're new to the siddur or have never felt comfortable in synagogue because you don't understand what is going on. Everything is explained very clearly and I recommend this section to anyone who wants to feel more involved in synagogue prayers.Part II deals with contemporary and philosophical issues such as feminist re-writing of prayers and new rituals, Orthodox women's prayers, Israeli poetry as prayer, and prayer as a response to evil and suffering. Some of these issues are very controversial--since to traditionalists, the words of the prayers should not be altered--and this section of the book is very lively and provocative.One of the best features of PRAY TELL is the running commentaries on the margins of the page that touch on things said within the main text--just like in the Talmud. It's impossible to get bored when you're reading because even if you disagree with the main text, there is an alternate point of view in the margins (written by great rabbis like Abraham Joshua Heschel as well as contemporary feminist authorities like Alice Shalvi and Marcia Falk). The back-and-forth dialogue makes for very lively reading. There are also lots of fascinating tidbits of information--like why we recite certain psalms during the morning service, why Aleinu has been so controversial, how religious Yiddish-speaking women created their own private prayers, etc.One of the biggest strengths of this book is that it gives you the tools to both understand the traditional prayers and play around them (if you want to). Although I personally don't feel comfortable changing the words of the liturgy, I am glad to know that there is actually a long history of making alterations and creating new prayers.