God is no longer “awesome” — he is “awe-inspiring.” That’s according to the Hebrew speakers behind Lev Shalem, the new prayer book (or mahzor, for those in the know) for conservative Jews during the High Holy Days, which span Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. It’s “the Conservative movement’s first updating in nearly 40 years,” the Times says, and is so modern and hip it even takes you queers into account.
The mourner’s kaddish for the service on Yom Kippur (the day of atonement for observant Jews), where deceased relatives are remembered, now includes a prayer for dead “partners,” a pleasantly ambiguous term for same-sex loved ones who have passed. (There’s also a prayer for “a parent who was hurtful,” so you can remember your asshole of an absentee father.)
Sadly, the rabbis overseeing this project have not truly modernized the text: Your 3-D glasses will not, I have learned, make the Hebrew pop.
CaseyS
Good for them.
‘God’ remains an entirely fictional character of course. That does not change.
I’d rather worship Cher.
tallskin2
Pfff, skypixie bollocks! Who gives a f*ck??
I personally worship the great sphagetti monster, far tastier an entity!
adam
@tallskin2: It’s the flying spaghetti monster, you blasphemer.
Skyler
Yay! It’s too bad that [theoretically] half of conservative Jews aren’t as liberal. Each individual synagogue chooses its position in America, sadly, it’s entirely against in Europe and Israel.
International house of prayer for people and power prayer lines
great blog…. its very informative and intresting..
Pulpit Calls was established in 2009 to provide a Free 24/7 power Prayer line for people seeking to share their religious beliefs through prayer. Since its establishment, millions of prayer calls have been answered.