The fact that this volume opens only in the Hebrew direction is a further indication of the growing primacy of Hebrew in the Reform movement. The sheer increase in quantity of Hebrew stands in stark contrast to the Union Prayer Book and Gates of Prayer. First of all, the transliteration of every prayer is formatted directly opposite the Hebrew, with the translation placed underneath both. Of prime importance in the new siddur is the value of inclusiveness. By contrast, Mishkan T’filah offers only two options for evening and morning - and neither of these two reflects the exceptionally wide range of theology present in Gates of Prayer. Rabbis and prayer leaders were free to select, for example, from among ten Sabbath evening services or six Sabbath morning services. Gates of Prayer, published in 1975, stands as a testament to a time in which personal choice was the operative principle. It reflects the values of this generation: the desire to be “polyvocal” rather than univocal and the need to retain choice as a primary element while at the same time attempting to create one community. This volume is addressed to those living at the beginning of the 21st century and reflects the desires of clergy and laypeople dedicated to including more Hebrew meeting the needs of a diverse population having a clear and uncluttered presentation, and increasing the use of traditional, as well as new, liturgy. Every generation needs to create its own prayer book to express, in its own idiom, its unique relationship with God. The new Reform prayer book, Mishkan T’filah, speaks to this trend. A recent study found that the younger generation of Reform Jews was more comfortable with Jewish ritual than their elders.
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