The represents the theology of the Jewish people throughout the generations. Not only is it an expression of popular religious feeling, but it is also a textbook of, and gateway into, the world of Jewish thought and imagination of the past two thousand years.

The prayerbook is a work of collective genius. On the one hand, learned and artful poets turned biblical verses and commentary intro prayer; they even made legal texts into liturgical poems. On the other hand, the basic liturgy is simple and direct, reflecting its origin in common communal experience. On several occasions, the will of the people overrode the decision of rabbis in the determining the text and customary practice of prayer.

Our hope is that this High Holy Day mahzor will allow each congregant to engage the world of Jewish prayer in a vital way. In Jewish tradition, study and prayer have always been intimately linked. With this in mind, this mahzor consists of four main elements linking study and prayer -the liturgical Hebrew text, translation, commentary, and meditational readings- each carefully prepared with attention to the contemporary worshipper.