The Authorised Daily Prayer Book (formally The Authorised Daily Prayer Book of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Empire, commonly known as Singer's Prayer Book or Singer's Siddur) was an English translation of the

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

siddur A siddur ( ''sīddūr'', ; plural siddurim ) is a Jewish prayer book containing a set order of daily prayers. The word comes from the Hebrew root , meaning 'order.' Other terms for prayer books are ''tefillot'' () among Sephardi Jews, ''tef ...

'' created by

Rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...

Simeon Singer. First published in 1890, it has gone through many editions, and is still used in many British Orthodox

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

s and homes. Singer's goal was "to unite accuracy and even literalness with due regard to English idiom, and to the simplicity of style and diction which befits the language of prayer". The ''siddur'' became popular not only due to the quality of its translation, and its relatively compact size, but also because the Montefiore family paid for its production, allowing it to be sold for one

shilling The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currency, currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 1 ...

. The Hebrew text was that of

Seligman Baer Seligman (Isaac) Baer (1825–1897) was a Masoretic text, Masoretic scholar, and an editor of the Hebrew Bible and of the Siddur, Jewish liturgy. He was born in Mosbach, the northern district of Biebrich, on 18 September 1825 and died at Biebric ...

's classic ''Avodat Yisrael'', to which Singer provided an "authorised" version of the liturgy capable of standardising and stabilising the synagogue service and helping to create an "established" Judaism in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

, particularly for the

United Synagogue The United Synagogue (US) is the largest umbrella body for Orthodox Judaism in Britain. It is structured as a charity which serves the United Kingdom, British Jewish community in the broadest possible way. One of the largest charities in the B ...

(the so-called "Minhag Anglia".) In 1915 the Bloch Publishing Company published an American version, ''The Standard Prayer Book'', which was widely used until the introduction of Philip Birnbaum's ''Ha-Siddur Ha-Shalem'' in 1949. The ''siddur'' was expanded in 1917 under Chief Rabbi Joseph Hertz; 1934 saw a "continuous" version, minimizing the need for cross-reference, and which also incorporated additional material. The 1962 Second Edition, under Chief Rabbi Israel Brodie, was completely re-typeset; also the translation was amended where it had become unclear or archaic, and further additional material had been introduced. The Centenary Edition of 1990 saw an extensively revised translation by Rabbi Eli Cashdan, and also included a series of explanatory notes by Chief Rabbi Lord Jakobovits. In 2006, Chief Rabbi

Jonathan Sacks Jonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks (8 March 19487 November 2020) was an English Orthodox rabbi, philosopher, theologian, and author. Sacks served as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from 1991 to 2013. As ...

penned a new translation, with commentary, instructions, laws &

rubric A rubric is a word or section of text that is traditionally written or printed in red ink for emphasis. The word derives from the Latin , meaning red ochre or red chalk, and originates in medieval illuminated manuscripts from the 13th century or ...

s; this Fourth Edition was designed by Raphaël Freeman and formed the basis for the Koren Sacks Siddur published 2009. The latest edition of the Authorised Daily Prayer Book - aka the New Singer's Siddur was published in June 2023, by the current Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Yitzchak Mirvis KBE. This new siddur includes additional essays and an introduction by the Chief Rabbi on how to learn responsibility through prayer. Dayan Ivan Binstock of St John’s Wood Synagogue and the London Beth Din has produced a guide to the Jewish year and prayer incorporating the customs of the United Synagogue. Going month by month, Dayan Binstock clearly sets the rhythms and practices of daily prayer with helpful charts.

References

{{reflist

External links

Authorised Daily Prayer Book
on the Open Siddur project.

- Gallery of title pages of all editions since 1890. Orthodox Judaism in the United Kingdom Siddurim of Orthodox Judaism