Morning Blessings (Birkot HaShachar)
The blessings on first arising—gratitude for the body, the soul, the senses, and the day.
Prayer & Liturgy
The siddur, the services, and how Jews speak to God
Your First Siddur
A siddur is the New Jew’s most-used Jewish book. Buy one with English translation, transliteration, and clear instructions.
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The Shema
The central declaration of Jewish faith—recited twice daily and at the moment of death.
The Amidah (Shemoneh Esrei)
The central prayer of every service—eighteen (now nineteen) benedictions said standing, silently, facing Jerusalem.
What to Expect on First Visits
A more detailed guide than the Where to Start chapter—for the visitor who wants to know exactly what will happen.
Birkat Hamazon: The Grace After Meals
The only prayer commanded explicitly in the Torah—a substantial blessing of God for food, land, Jerusalem, and the goodness of creation.
How to Read the Transliterations
Four columns sit alongside the Hebrew. Three of them represent how real communities pronounce the prayers. One represents the letters themselves. Pick the one that matches the room you daven in, or the one that matches what you’re trying to learn.
A High-Holiday Checklist
You have decided to go to synagogue for the High Holidays. Good. Now comes a surprisingly complicated question: what goes in the bag?