Jewish Men Pray: Words of Yearning, Praise, Petition, Gratitude and Wonder from Traditional and Contemporary Sources

A celebration of Jewish men's voices in prayer―to strengthen, to heal, to comfort, to inspire from the ancient world up to our own day.

"An extraordinary gathering of men―diverse in their ages, their lives, their convictions―have convened in this collection to offer contemporary, compelling and personal prayers. The words published here are not the recitation of established liturgies, but the direct address of today's Jewish men to ha-Shomea Tefilla, the Ancient One who has always heard, and who remains eager to receive, the prayers of our hearts."
―from the Foreword by Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, DHL

This collection of prayers celebrates the variety of ways Jewish men engage in personal dialogue with God―with words of praise, petition, joy, gratitude, wonder and even anger―from the ancient world up to our own day.

Drawn from mystical, traditional, biblical, Talmudic, Hasidic and modern sources, these prayers will help you deepen your relationship with God and help guide your journey of self-discovery, healing and spiritual awareness. Together they provide a powerful and creative expression of Jewish men's inner lives, and the always revealing, sometimes painful, sometimes joyous―and often even practical―practice that prayer can be.

Jewish Men Pray will challenge your preconceived ideas about prayer. It will inspire you to explore new ways of prayerful expression, new paths for finding the sacred in the ordinary and new possibilities for understanding the Jewish relationship with the Divine. This is a book to treasure and to share.

Contributors:

Israel Abrahams • Aharon of Karlin • Daniel S. Alexander • Alexandri (third century CE) • Bezalel Aloni • Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, DHL • Rabbi Samuel Barth • Hillel Bavli (1893–1961) • Shye Ben-Tzur • Chaim Nachman Bialik (1873–1934) • Sheldon H. Blank (1896–1989) • Ben Zion Bokser (1907–1984) • Harold Braunstein • Daniel S. Brenner • Eliezer Bugatin • Shlomo Carlebach • (1925–1994) • Avraham Chalfi (1904–1980) • Rabbi Howard Cooper • Rabbi Menachem Creditor • Abraham Danziger (1748–1820) • Harry K. Danziger • Elazar (end of first century CE) • Elimelech of Lizhensk (1717–1787) • Dov Peretz Elkins • Abraham ibn Ezra (1089–1164) • Morley T. Feinstein • Edward Feld • Adam D. Fisher • Ira Flax • Solomon ibn Gabirol (1021–1058) • Elihu Gevirtz • Jeffrey Goldwasser • James Stone Goodman • Rabbi Arthur Green • Sidney Greenberg (1917–2003) • Judah HaLevi (1075–1141) • Rabbi Jules Harlow • Rabbi Shai Held • Rabbi Hayim Herring • Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907–1972) • Lawrence A. Hoffman • Rabbi David A. Ingber • Rabbi Ben Kamin • Yehuda Karni (1884–1949) • Rabbi Paul J. Kipnes • Eliahu J. Klein • Cantor Jeffrey Klepper • Rabbi Michael Knopf • Harold Kohn • Abraham Isaac Kook (1865–1935) • Rabbi Andy Koren • Rabbi Cary Kozberg • Rabbi Elliot Kukla • Rabbi Irwin Kula • Harold S. Kushner • Rabbi Lawrence Kushner • Rabbi Robert N. Levine • Rabbi Stan Levy • Immanuel Lubliner (1923–1997) • Moses Maimonides (1135–1204) • Mar the son of Rabina (fourth century) • Rabbi Craig Marantz • Danny Maseng • Daniel C. Matt • Hershel Jonah Matt (1922–1987) • Rabbi Ralph D. Mecklenburger • Andrew Meit • Rabbi Joseph B. Meszler • Jay Michaelson • Rabbi James L. Mirel • Nachman of Breslov (1772–1810) • Louis Newman • Dan Nichols • Reb Noson (1780–1844) • Rabbi Avi S. Olitzky • Rabbi Jesse Olitzky • Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky • Natan Ophir (Offenbacher) • Bachya ibn Pakuda (eleventh century) • Daniel F. Polish • Andrew Ramer • Avrom Reyzen (1876–1953) • Haim O. Rechnitzer • Rabbi Jack Riemer • Rabbi Albert Ringer • Rabbi Brant Rosen • James B. Rosenberg • Joel Rosenberg • Robert Saks • Jeffrey Salkin • Rabbi Neil Sandler • Zalman Schachter-Shalomi • Rabbi Robert Scheinberg • Harold M. Schulweis • Rabbi Arthur Segal • Rabbi Rami M. Shapiro • Rabbi Rick Sherwin • Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745–1812) • Yaakov David Shulman • Danny Siegel • Rifat Sonsino • Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz • Chaim Stern (1930–2001) • Rabbi Arnold Stiebel • Rabbi Warren Stone • Rabbi Neil A. Tow • Roy A. Walter • Simkha Y. Weintraub • Rabbi David Wolpe • Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev (1740–1809) • Hillel Zeitlin (1871–1942) • Rabbi Reuben Zellman • Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel • Rabbi Shawn Zevit • Rabbi Sheldon Zimmerman • Rabbi Mishael Zion • Rabbi Raymond A. Zwerin

Stuart M. Matlins is founder, editor-in-chief and publisher of Jewish Lights Publishing and SkyLight Paths Publishing. Both imprints focus on religion and spirituality from a broad non-denominational perspective. He is author or editor of several books, including the best-selling How to Be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook ; The Jewish Lights Spirituality Handbook: A Guide to Understanding, Exploring & Living a Spiritual Life ; The Perfect Stranger's Guide to Wedding Ceremonies: A Guide to Etiquette in Other People’s Religious Ceremonies; and The Perfect Stranger’s Guide to Funerals and Grieving Practices: A Guide to Etiquette in Other People’s Religious Ceremonies .

Stuart was the 2014 recipient of the Abraham Geiger Medal, an award recognizing outstanding service to religious pluralism, and the 2006 recipient of the American Jewish Distinguished Service Award, an annual presentation of Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion. He was a member of the First Catholic/Jewish Lay Conference at the Vatican in October 2007, an event under the auspices of the Interreligious Information Center.

Among his many speaking appearances, Stuart has been the scholar-in-residence or guest lecturer at the National Funeral Director’s Association convention, Temple Isaiah (Palm Springs, CA), The Jewish Center of the Hamptons (East Hampton, NY), Temple Sholom (Plainfield, NJ), Israel Congregation (Manchester, NH) and at the annual gatherings of the Jewish Community Centers Association and the Jewish Outreach Institute. He also has been a featured speaker or panel member at many Book Expo America conventions, and at the biennial Festival of Faith and Writing at Calvin College, as well as at churches and other conferences.

Before publishing took over his life, he was a management consultant for over thirty years as a managing partner with Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. and then heading his own consulting firm.

He is the cofounder of an innovative synagogue in Woodstock, Vermont, with his wife, Antoinette Matlins, and served as lay spiritual leader for nineteen of its twenty-one years. He has served for over twenty years on the Board of Governors of Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, and was chair of the Board of Overseers of its New York School. He is widely recognized as a leader in the spiritual transformation of Judaism in our time.

Stuart is listed in Who’s Who in America.

Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky, named one of the fifty leading rabbis in North America by Newsweek, is well known for his inspiring books that bring the Jewish wisdom tradition into everyday life. He is executive director of Big Tent Judaism, formerly Jewish Outreach Institute, and is author of many books on Jewish spirituality, healing and Jewish religious practice, including Making a Successful Jewish Interfaith Marriage: The Big Tent Judaism Guide to Opportunities, Challenges and Resources; Introducing My Faith and My Community: The Jewish Outreach Institute Guide for a Christian in a Jewish Interfaith Relationship; Jewish Paths toward Healing and Wholeness: A Personal Guide to Dealing with Suffering; Grief in Our Seasons: A Mourner's Kaddish Companion; Twelve Jewish Steps to Recovery: A Personal Guide to Turning from Alcoholism & Other Addictions―Drugs, Food, Gambling, Sex...; Facing Cancer as a Family; Life's Daily Blessings: Inspiring Reflections on Gratitude for Every Day, Based on Jewish Wisdom; 100 Blessings Every Day: Daily Twelve Step Recovery Affirmations, Exercises for Personal Growth and Renewal Reflecting Seasons of the Jewish Year and Recovery from Codependance: A Jewish Twelve Step Guide to Healing Your Soul. He is also coauthor of Grandparenting Interfaith Grandchildren; Jewish Holidays: A Brief Introduction for Christians; Jewish Ritual: A Brief Introduction for Christians; Renewed Each Day, Vol. One―Genesis and Exodus: Daily Twelve Step Recovery Meditations; Renewed Each Day, Vol. Two―Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy: Daily Twelve Step Recovery Meditations Based on the Bible and coeditor of The Rituals and Practices of a Jewish Life: A Handbook for Personal Spiritual Renewal (all Jewish Lights).

Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky is available to speak on the following topics:

• The Jewish Twelve Step Path to Healing and Recovery
• Sparks Beneath the Surface: A Spiritual Read on the Torah
• Welcoming the Stranger in Our Midst
• How to Nurture Jewish Grandchildren Being Raised in an Interfaith Family
• Optimism for a Jewish Future

Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, DHL, an inspiring speaker and educator, holds the Abner and Roslyn Goldstine Dean's Chair of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and is vice president of American Jewish University in Los Angeles. He is a member of the philosophy department, supervises the Miller Introduction to Judaism Program and mentors Camp Ramah in California. He is also dean of Zacharias Frankel College in Potsdam, Germany, ordaining rabbis for the European Union. A regular columnist for the Huffington Post, he is author of many articles and books, including Renewing the Process of Creation: A Jewish Integration of Science and Spirit; God of Becoming and Relationship: The Dynamic Nature of Process Theology and Passing Life’s Tests: Spiritual Reflections on the Trial of Abraham, the Binding of Isaac.

Daniel S. Alexander is rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Rabbi Edward Feld is currently rabbi-in-residence at The Jewish Theological Seminary, where he mentors a new generation of student rabbis. He has served as a college chaplain at Princeton University, Smith and Amherst Colleges and the University of Illinois. He is author of The Spirit of Renewal: Finding Faith after the Holocaust. He has also served as rabbi to New York's Society for the Advancement of Judaism. He is currently chair of the new High Holiday Prayerbook Commission of the Rabbinical Assembly and a member of the steering committee of Rabbis for Human Rights, North America. Active as a teacher of spirituality to university students, scholars and rabbis, he has also worked with Catholic and Protestant spiritual leaders. He was a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, and the organizer of its theology seminar.

Sharing his unique and moving message with people around the world, Rabbi Edward Feld has lectured at many institutions of learning, including: The Jewish Theological Seminary; Mt. Saviour Monastery; The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College; the University of California; and the University of Chicago.
Rabbi Edward Feld is available to speak on the following topics:

• Why Words?
• The Making of a Mahzor
• Joy and Despair: Reading Psalms
• A Taste of Talmud: How Do We Talk with Each Other?
• A Taste of Talmud: Is Compromise Just?