Conservatives take note—your ‘user’s guide’ is here

NEW YORK -- Feeling a little lost as the service in your Conservative synagogue moves ahead?

Your movement has something for you: Or Hadash (New Light), a new commentary on the Conservative movement's prayer book, Sim Shalom. It's a book within a book, a commentary wrapped around the prayer book. It's a kind of beginner's service in print, but deeper, with historical context and contemporary commentary running along side the prayers.

Its author is Rabbi Reuven Hammer, president of the denomination's Rabbinical Assembly. It is published by the same group and is debuting at its annual convention, slated to begin Sunday in Los Angeles.

The time had come for a Conservative prayer book user's guide, as it were, because so many people were asking for one, says Rabbi Hammer.

"There's a great deal of interest in prayer today, more than there has been in the past. These things are taken seriously by our congregants," he said. "There's a lot more interest and understanding that the siddur is one of Judaism's basic books, like the Torah, and worth studying."

It will be available shortly for $45, from the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism book service.