alexist

I went to both morning and evening services today. Prayer overdose. Our local synagogue needs to invest in new machzorim: they are using the de Sola Pool one from 1948! Dire layout, requires you to flip back and forth all the time rather than reprint the Kaddish and so on, and an old-fashioned, stilted translation. I also got seriously confused at one point--they opened the ark for Avinu Malkeinu and it wasn't indicated in the Mincha service. I've got issues with much of Artscroll's stuff--particularly, their 'translation' of Shir HaShirim. They give an 'allegorical translation', claiming that it's the only way to see the true meaning. It's nonsense. They just want to censor all the erotic bits. To me, half the point of Shir HaShirim IS that it's couched in such sensual language. What would be much more faithful is a literal translation alongside, in the usual way, and then the allegorical one below in the notes. That rant aside, Artscroll's siddurim are clear and easy to use.

Their regular prayerbooks are fine--choice of Artscroll or the updated Singer's--and so are their Chumashim, Artscroll or Hertz. But the machzorim are dire. If we were in an eruv so I could carry things to shul, I'd shell out on my own machzor for Yom Kippur. We're not, though, so I'll have to cope! :-(

Interesting--just searched some Judaica stores online and the only machzorim they have are Artscroll!

(I can't be bothered to explain this entry for the non-Jews. Go google.)

I went late (10:00 instead of 8:30). This wasn't an entirely bad thing, as it didn't finish till 13:20. I noticed today that a) the cantor was using the Artscroll machzor to lead the service and b) quite a few people had brought their own. So I'm definitely going to buy one for Yom Kippur. The only annoying thing is that I've looked online and it costs about £25 here. US sites have it at a list price of $30 with actual prices from $20. Rip-off!! Will purchase Rosh Hashana one for next year from the States--no time for Yom Kippur.

Other than that, it was the usual... plenty of crying babies, and the cantor kept throwing dirty looks at the ladies' gallery because people wouldn't quiet down. At least the rabbi kept the sermon brief. Fairly standard Rosh Hashana sermon, talking about the Akeidah (the binding of Isaac), which is the portion read today, and then the need to make religion a regular part of your life, rather than saved for extraordinary events. Aimed at the once-a-year attendees, no doubt ;-)

Some truly vile hats spotted as well. In two weeks I'll have to start wearing one to shul. Please make sure I keep them sensible ;-)