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(or, as mentioned, the Authorised Daily Prayer Book of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. It's called the Singer siddur because the first edition was translated and edited by Rabbi Simeon Singer.)
I now have the reader's edition (there is a standard sized edition, but Amazon didn't have it and I didn't feel like traipsing to a Jewish bookshop. Anyway, I'm getting old. Large type is good.)
So far, it looks good. The layout and design are excellent. This is something that let me down with the last Singer's, and which kept me using Artscroll despite their own design flaws. Artscroll persists in thinking that an italic typeface is appropriate for body text. Have you ever read solid pages in italics? There's a reason it's used for emphasis. At least the Artscroll siddur uses a reasonable typeface for the English. The Chumash and Tanach (and, IIRC, the Shabbat and Yom Tov only siddur) use an awful rounded font that completely puts me off using them (this is entirely separate from their other flaws). In shul, therefore, I am left with the unappealing choice of the Artscroll Stone Chumash and the old Hertz. I have affection for the Hertz and think it's unfairly maligned today, but the fact remains that it's about 80 years old and difficult to read.
Back to Singer's, this edition has a beautiful clear English typeface and a good Hebrew one--similar to the Artscroll but slightly different. Qamatz qatan and shva na are specifically indicated, which is useful.
The introductory essay by Chief Rabbi Sacks is really very good--it's the sort of thing that's his forte. I think this is one of the things that arouses condescension in right-wing circles--his focus has always been theology rather than halacha.
The translations are sometimes a little odd; to me, "Shema Yisrael" will always be "Hear, O Israel". Also, they've managed to make the translation of Adon Olam rhyme. To do this, they've had to flip the last couplet, so instead of ending "Hashem is with me, I shall not fear" (the last line in Hebrew) it reads "Hashem is with me, I shall not fear; body and soul from harm will He keep". I think it blunts it slightly. The siddur is somewhat easier to use than Artscroll because it's specifically US with a consistent minhag and liturgy--no "some congregations say..." with additions that very few people use. They've adopted the Sephardic practice of having women say Modah Ani, rather than Modeh Ani, although they haven't adapted Birchot Hashachar for gender the way some siddurim (Rinat Yisrael?) do. Women's zimun for Bircat Hamazon is included though. :) And a zeved bat ceremony. Also, because the US is Zionist, we have Yom Ha'atzmaut prayers and the prayer for the state of Israel and the IDF, though the US uses its own version rather than the "official" one--no Reishit Tzmichat Geulateinu in ours. Mmm, spot my modern leanings.
The only omissions (that I've noticed) are no Shir HaShirim included (so if you recite it on Shabbat you have to go get the Tanach out :) ), and no full Tehillim.
I now have the reader's edition (there is a standard sized edition, but Amazon didn't have it and I didn't feel like traipsing to a Jewish bookshop. Anyway, I'm getting old. Large type is good.)
So far, it looks good. The layout and design are excellent. This is something that let me down with the last Singer's, and which kept me using Artscroll despite their own design flaws. Artscroll persists in thinking that an italic typeface is appropriate for body text. Have you ever read solid pages in italics? There's a reason it's used for emphasis. At least the Artscroll siddur uses a reasonable typeface for the English. The Chumash and Tanach (and, IIRC, the Shabbat and Yom Tov only siddur) use an awful rounded font that completely puts me off using them (this is entirely separate from their other flaws). In shul, therefore, I am left with the unappealing choice of the Artscroll Stone Chumash and the old Hertz. I have affection for the Hertz and think it's unfairly maligned today, but the fact remains that it's about 80 years old and difficult to read.
Back to Singer's, this edition has a beautiful clear English typeface and a good Hebrew one--similar to the Artscroll but slightly different. Qamatz qatan and shva na are specifically indicated, which is useful.
The introductory essay by Chief Rabbi Sacks is really very good--it's the sort of thing that's his forte. I think this is one of the things that arouses condescension in right-wing circles--his focus has always been theology rather than halacha.
The translations are sometimes a little odd; to me, "Shema Yisrael" will always be "Hear, O Israel". Also, they've managed to make the translation of Adon Olam rhyme. To do this, they've had to flip the last couplet, so instead of ending "Hashem is with me, I shall not fear" (the last line in Hebrew) it reads "Hashem is with me, I shall not fear; body and soul from harm will He keep". I think it blunts it slightly. The siddur is somewhat easier to use than Artscroll because it's specifically US with a consistent minhag and liturgy--no "some congregations say..." with additions that very few people use. They've adopted the Sephardic practice of having women say Modah Ani, rather than Modeh Ani, although they haven't adapted Birchot Hashachar for gender the way some siddurim (Rinat Yisrael?) do. Women's zimun for Bircat Hamazon is included though. :) And a zeved bat ceremony. Also, because the US is Zionist, we have Yom Ha'atzmaut prayers and the prayer for the state of Israel and the IDF, though the US uses its own version rather than the "official" one--no Reishit Tzmichat Geulateinu in ours. Mmm, spot my modern leanings.
The only omissions (that I've noticed) are no Shir HaShirim included (so if you recite it on Shabbat you have to go get the Tanach out :) ), and no full Tehillim.
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