Ever since I encoutered the ancient and lasting Minhag Ashkenaz, which is still alive and well in “Yeckishe” communities the world over (such as the Israelitische Gemeinde Basel), I dreamt of deepening my understanding of the Jewish paryerbook, the Siddur. During my first year as the IGB’s rabbi, I gave a series of lectures on the various prayers in the prayerbook, and have returned to the topic on numerous occasions.
And now, I have been granted the good fortune to participate in the editing and publishing of a new siddur: the New, Revised Edition of the RCA Siddur, to be published by Artscroll Mesorah Publishers. This blessed opportunity prompts research in texts we are very familiar with, that are often little understood.
I will therefore be able to frequently publish short blog posts on this topic, and have created a new “Category” for these posts, entitled “prayer.”
Mikolot Mayim Rabbim 
Revised RCA siddur – the Artscroll version, vs. the Koren-Sacks siddur, which is endorsed by the OU. Interesting that two of the main institutions of Modern Orthodoxy (the third being RIETS/YU) endorse two different siddurim, one a regular Israeli one adapted by adding English, one an American Yeshivish one adapted by adding the Prayer for the State of Israel.
I don’t want to blur the lines between my own research and opinions, as expressed in this blog, and my work as the Project Coordinator for the New Revised RCA Siddur (though quite obviously, the two meet and cross fertilize), so I won’t engage here now in a marketing campaign for the RCA siddur.
Let me just remark the following, the RCA siddur that we all know was never supposed to be the “real” RCA siddur, it was a band aid solution, and the intention was clearly spelled out between Artscroll and the RCA, FROM THE BEGINNING, that the RCA will significantly edit Artscroll’s siddur to suit its members’ congregations’ needs. For whatever organizational reasons, this project stalled until about two years ago, and is only now seriously in development.
The New Revised Edition wiill have a significantly refreshed commentary, will be sensitive to more modern scholarship, be more inclusive and feature a somewhat improved translation. The siddur will not only reflect some of the breadth of modern Orthodox hashqafot (should I write “hashkafos” ;-)), but also the particular needs of our community. It will also be a solidly mainstream American siddur.
So, while the RCA siddur presently is one with the prayer for the State of Israel, for the United States and for Tzahal tacked on (as well as including a beautiful introduction by R’ Saul Berman), it is not correct to say that that is all the New, Revised Edition of the RCA Siddur will be.
Let me take the opportunity to thank you for some outstanding essays on your blog; I am obviously referring to posts about prayer.
Kol tuv & hatzla’ha!