Koren erodes ArtScroll dominance

For decades, one name dominated the bookshelves and pews of American Orthodox synagogues: ArtScroll.

The Brooklyn-based publisher of Jewish books put out the most widely used Orthodox siddur, as well as a popular text and translation of the Chumash. But that dominance appears to be fading.

In 2009, Koren Publishers Jerusalem, an Israeli label, issued a competing Hebrew-English prayer book with commentary by Jonathan Sacks, the former chief rabbi of the United Kingdom. Now another prayer book has entered the fray.

Since the 1980s, the Rabbinical Council of America had put its seal of approval on a version of the ArtScroll prayer book. But the RCA has ended that partnership and in October released its own prayer book, called Siddur Avodat Halev, through Koren.

Koren also released a new Chumash in September, with a translation and commentary based on the teachings of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, a leading Jewish scholar who also translated the entire Talmud from Aramaic to Hebrew.

The new books reflect a shift in the priorities and profile of today’s American Jewish Orthodox community, their creators say. ArtScroll revolutionized Jewish books by providing an accessible translation of prayers and clear instructions on Jewish ritual. The new books also try to do that, but have much more content focused on the State of Israel.

The new RCA siddur also has broken barriers by including more prayers geared toward women. In Hebrew, nearly all words are grammatically gendered, and in Orthodox Judaism, men traditionally lead major prayers. The new siddur prints prayers in the two genders, and adds specific prayers to be recited by women.

When it was first printed in 1984, ArtScroll’s siddur was itself revolutionary as a user-friendly alternative to earlier publications. But its language is geared toward men — using the word “he” in explaining how to pray, including only masculine language for some personal prayers, and without any ceremony for a bat mitzvah or the birth of a baby girl.

It also includes no prayers for or about the State of Israel, in deference to more traditionalist Orthodox Jews whose attitudes toward Zionism vary. The RCA edition does include traditional prayers for the state, as well as the Israel Defense Forces, but they wanted more.

“There was a mutual agreement that this was not the usual ArtScroll type of fare,” said Rabbi Basil Herring, the editor of the new RCA prayer book and a former executive vice president of the RCA. “ArtScroll caters or projects itself as being very loyal to tradition … and the haredi community. It would never encroach in those areas outside of what the haredi community would embrace.”

Rabbi Gedaliah Zlotowitz, ArtScroll’s president, said his publishing house continues to put out new editions of the Chumash, including one with corresponding teachings of the Talmud and another that focuses on a traditional Aramaic translation.

He said that ArtScroll does not plan to focus on the women’s prayer experience because it released a women’s prayer book in 2005. That book does not denote ways that women can lead prayers and omits prayers that women are not obligated to say under traditional Jewish law.

“The RCA went with their own siddur and we wish them a lot of hatzlacha,” Rabbi Zlotowitz said. “We feel we did a wonderful women’s siddur. We feel it’s very well received. It helps people. It gives women very clear direction. There’s no reason to do something over and to spend a lot of time and effort if we can spend time and effort opening up Torah to Jews around the world.”

More than any previous major Orthodox prayer book, the new RCA version’s language includes women in the prayer experience. It provides feminine alternatives in Hebrew to the masculine texts, makes more of the instructions gender-neutral, and includes prayers for a bat mitzvah and a ceremony for the birth of a girl.

It is also the only major Orthodox prayer book to include a Birkat Hamazon led by women. Jewish law provides the option for women to lead the prayer in certain circumstances. Still, the book is not egalitarian: Orthodox Judaism maintains that daily prayers must be led by men, and language about leading those prayers uses the word “he.”

“Our community should recognize … and has recognized that women today are getting an advanced Jewish education, much more so than in previous ages,” Rabbi Herring said. “Women are rightfully demanding that they take their place in the synagogue and Jewish communal life.”

Leah Sarna said the new RCA prayer book’s inclusion of women is “awesome” and that the Chicago synagogue where she works, Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel, may order it for use by the congregation.

“I’ve never seen the pronoun ‘one’ used more in a document,” said Sarna, the congregation’s director of religious engagement. “I’m sure that took a lot of work to make that happen, and it’s very much appreciated. The assumption that the user of this siddur is not a man is a wonderful thing.”

The RCA prayer book, like Koren’s, includes prayers relating to Israel. In addition to traditional prayers for the state and its army, there is a section with prayers for Israeli holidays like Memorial Day, Independence Day, Holocaust Remembrance Day and Jerusalem Day.

These prayers reflect the increasing centrality of Israel to American Orthodox life. Many Orthodox families send their children for a year of study in Israel after high school.

“For our community, the connection with Israel has become very strong over the years and is only growing stronger and stronger,” Rabbi Herring said. “In terms of our community and our constituency, there’s a recognition that Israel — it has to be a central part of our religious life.”

Rabbi Herring is proud as well of the prayer book’s new translation and commentary, which draws on an array of sources and is based on historical research into the evolution of Jewish prayer. It shares that with the Steinsaltz Chumash, which draws on a range of commentaries to provide an easy reading experience for Jews across the spectrum.

“My father’s emphasis was for years to make as transparent a commentary as possible,” said Rabbi Meni Even-Israel, Rabbi Steinsaltz’s son, who oversaw the translation. “It’s very fluid and it doesn’t stop you from asking questions — very clear. There’s no agenda. The agenda is your understanding.”

The book has an unordinary format: Alongside the Hebrew is a mix of literal translation (in bold) and commentary (in regular print). Below that is more commentary. The book is also full of illustrations and diagrams, as well as maps and photographs of Israel. Even-Israel hopes that reading it will be like reading a regular book aimed at a mass audience.

“Our dream is that you’re going to have a teacher in your pocket,” he said. “From here you can go anywhere you want. Secondly, you can go to sleep with this book. This is the people’s book.”

The question, of course, is how many synagogues will adopt these books. The Koren Sacks prayer book has sold hundreds of thousands of copies and provides a popular alternative to ArtScroll. A wealth of Koren books provides a religious ritual focus on Israel and Zionism. And countless other offerings have come out in recent years, though not all with the imprimatur of a major Orthodox rabbinical association or scholar.

Rabbi Herring is confident that as time passes and synagogues look to replace their stock, they will turn to Avodat Halev. The book is already on its second printing, and about 5,000 copies have been sold. ArtScroll does not release its sales figures

One Orthodox congregation, the Boca Raton Synagogue in South Florida, has ordered a thousand copies for its 900 member families to use every week. It had used ArtScroll — and will keep a few in stock.

“We decided to switch because it’s more aligned with the values and practices of the community,” said the synagogue’s rabbi, Efrem Goldberg. “It’s more sensitive to some of the prayers we recite and practices that we have. It enables us to practice our observance more fully.”