Seyder Tkhines: The Forgotten Book of Common Prayer for Jewish Women - Hardcover

Kay, Devra

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0827607733 ISBN 13: 9780827607736

Publisher: JEWISH PUBLICATON SOCIETY, 2004

Synopsis

The Seyder Tkhines, translated from its original Yiddish by noted tkhines scholar, Devra Kay, and centerpiece of this groundbreaking work, was a standard Yiddish prayer book for women. It first appeared in Amsterdam in 1648, and continued to be published for the next three generations, usually inside the Hebrew synagogue prayer book. A product of an age when mysticism pervaded mainstream Judaism, the Seyder Tkhines provided women with newly composed, alternative daily prayers that were more specific to their needs. Included in this volume is a unique Yiddish manuscript dating from the 17th century - a collection of prayers written specifically for a rich, pregnant woman, which Kay discovered among the rare books of the Bodleian Library in Oxford, England.

Now, for the first time, these prayers have been skillfully translated and brought to public view. In addition to her translations, Kay presents her own extensive commentary, providing a deeper understanding of the historic, religious, and cultural background of this period in Jewish history. This unparalleled book will have special appeal to those interested in the social, literary, and religious history of women, as well as the history of the Yiddish language and literature. The interest in these forgotten prayers and their significance to the lives of women has now been revived, and these tkhines are ready to be rediscovered by a modern readership.

About this title

From the Publisher

"Devra Kay is brilliant! ... This book not only fills a white space in Jewish women's liturgical history, it is a gift to all Jewish women and men who want to come closer to the religious life of their forbears, and thus, to their own." - Blu Greenberg, co-founder and first president of the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance.

About the Author

Devra Kay is the author of numerous articles on tkhines and Yiddish women’s literature. She received her Doctorate of Philosophy from Oxford University, England, where she was the first full-time lector in Yiddish. She was a Research Fellow and the first Director of Yiddish and Ashkenazic Studies at Queen Mary and Westfield College, London University. Ms. Kay is the author of "Elementary Yiddish" and "The Brontes and a Guide to Haworth." She currently works at the House of Commons.

Edition details

• Publisher: JEWISH PUBLICATON SOCIETY
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0827607733
• ISBN 13: 9780827607736
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 300