Hebrew Voices #165 – Open Siddur Project

Transcript

Hebrew Voices #165 – Open Siddur Project

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Nehemia: It’s understood that one of the roles of the prophets is to pray, and even the prophets need God’s help in order to engage in that prayer. That’s profound. Wow!

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Nehemia: Shalom, this is Nehemia Gordon with Hebrew Voices, and I am here today at the Klau Library of the Hebrew Union College with Aharon Varady of the Open Siddur Project. Shalom, Aharon.

Aharon: Shalom. It’s really an honor to be interviewed here today!

Nehemia: It’s great to have you. And you contacted me a number of years ago, and I think you asked me to contribute something to the Open Siddur Project, some Karaite siddur I had basically typed up, something from the 1800’s. What is the Open Siddur Project, and why would the Open Siddur Project be interested in a Karaite siddur from the 1800’s?

Aharon: Our project is a project to liberate the content of Jewish prayer and prayer-related works for people who are crafting their own prayer books. That could be individuals or groups – anyone who wants to create their own prayer book in expression of their intimate spiritual practice. We believe they should have access and permission to create that work. That could be as individually distinguished, or as conforming to a particular lineage, but it’s going to be a very special expression of what they’re doing. We want to make that available to people.

Nehemia: There's so much to unpack here. I think we have to back up a little bit for my audience, who maybe isn't familiar with Jewish prayer books. Jewish prayers tend to be what I think in Christianity we call would liturgical. I think we call it that too – liturgical.