If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, or we’re friends in person, then you know that I’m overly 
enthusiastic about most Jewish topics. I can get in a deep and serious conversation (OK, sometimes an argument) about synagogues, holidays, denominations, Jewish education, rituals, traditions, bar mitzvahs, Israel, Jewish food, Jewish identity, Jewish baby names, really Jewish almost anything. This link will take you to all of my Jewish posts on those aforementioned topics and others. There are MANY articles there from the past six years. Just last week I wrote about The Ten Commandments of Texting. I consider it both a gift and a curse that I can even make a non-Jewish topic a Jewish topic.
However, the one topic I’ve never written about is prayer. The truth is, prayer is an aspect of Judaism that has always been difficult for me. And by “difficult” I mean: confusing, frustrating, empty, and boring. You know why? I was never taught to pray. Yes, I went to Hebrew school, had a bat mitzvah, and even went on to get confirmed after tenth grade. But the prayers I know are ones I learned by heart even though I did at one time learn the Hebrew letters. I know how to sound out Hebrew syllables. Those syllables, however, have no meaning to me because I do not have the vocabulary to access their meaning. When we say we can “read” a language, usually we mean we can comprehend, not just that we know how to pronounce the letters of that language.
The even BIGGER impediment to prayer for me has been that the English translations of the 2000-year-old prayers still have a stilted and meaningless feel to me. I can read a paragraph in English in the siddur (prayer book) and this is what my brain hears “Praise G-D, blah blah blah blah. Took you out of Egypt. Blah blah blah.” I’m not kidding. That’s what I hear. More and more as I have felt a need to access prayer, I have felt it more impossible to do so.
ENTER RUCHI KOVAL’S REVOLUTIONARILY NEW PRAYER BOOK: Conversations with G-D: Prayers for Jewish Women. It has truly been like an answer for my prayers.
Who is Ruchi Koval? Ruchi is a Rebbetzin/educator/speaker/writer who I have been following (hopefully not in a super creepy way) for about five years. I discovered Ruchi on her very original and honest blog called Out of the Orthobox. And eventually we developed a friendship online. She has offered me so much Jewish wisdom over the years, and I have offered her help as well in the areas of social media, blogging, other writer stuff. (Hey, I know my strengths.) We finally got to meet in person last year when she came to speak at Aish Minnesota’s Women of Wonder event. We even had the chance to share a private meal.
When I heard Ruchi was coming out with a prayer book that would offer the Hebrew, the English transliteration, the traditional English translation, AND most importantly the “Ruchi translation,” I knew there might be a chance I could access the idea of prayer.
You guys, I was more than right. I am absolutely blown away by how easy reading Ruchi’s translations has been for me. These are prayers I’ve seen (“seen” not felt) my whole life with some new-to-me ones mixed in, too. I can actually make these prayers MEAN SOMETHING for the first time. I feel inspired to try a few prayers every day. I feel inspired to take my candle-lighting up a notch on Friday nights and to take my challah baking prayer up a notch. I feel like I can talk to G-D in a way I had never considered before. And I really need that now more than ever.
For goodness sake, I wouldn’t gush like this about a PRAYER BOOK of all things if I didn’t mean it from the bottom of my heart. Even Bryan, my husband, read the translations and said he wants a copy for himself. He thinks they’re brilliant and he doesn’t throw that word around lightly. I love these translations so much that I want to buy a copy for two of my readers. TWO! Ruchi sent me my own copy so I didn’t get a chance to support her new endeavor with a purchase. Therefore, I’m spreading the wisdom to two of my readers (even if you’re a brand new reader, that’s fine).
Have a great week everyone!
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47 Responses
This sounds amazing! I am totally interested in winning a copy! (And if I don’t, I’ll buy one.) Thanks for sharing the news, Nina!
Me please!
I would be honored to win your giveaway. I too pray daily with a siddur that has me climbing walls.am I saying it correctly etc. And I too do not know hebrew do where is my tune.
My 12-year-old daughter commented on the same topic just yesterday. “‘Holy, holy, holy’– what is this?” And all I could offer was, “Yeah.” We’d love to enter to win a copy. Thanks for letting us know about it. 🙂
I’d love to enter!
Would love to win a copy
I am interested in winning a copy!!
Would love to have a copy! Thanks, Nina!
I am very intrigued!
I have much the similar relationship with prayers as you, except I went to day school and, presumably, at one time learned what they mean. Now, I can read all the prayers in Hebrew (and prefer it over the transliteration) but, like you said, I don’t feel them. For years, I’ve said that being Jewish to be is not about going to services and, therefore, I haven’t gone. But, with a bat mitzvah on the horizon in less than 2 years, I’ve resolved to go more regularly to support her and learn the service. And I’ve been learning, but not feeling. I hope this book is the connection I’ve been missing and one that I can share with my nearing-bat mitzvah girl. Thank you for bringing this book to my attention!
And as a side-note, how are those babies who used to play together close enough to bar/bat mitzvah that I’m even writing this!
I loved this comment– and really where has the time gone? I want to add that many of the prayers Ruchi chose to translate are also great for home use, which is part of what I love about them.
I’m interested! And I added the book to my wish list – for myself, my daughter, and my niece(for her bat mitzvah). Thank you for sharing it with us, Nina.
Would love to enter the drawing, Nina! And thank you so much for telling us about this book – feel like you just opened a whole new world!
Would love a copy! It would be an answer to my prayers!
Sounds amazing! Would love to see it and share the wisdom and inspiration!
Oooh, I want to win!! Enter me, please 🙂
Enter me, please!
I love Ruchi’s blog and am definitely interested in the drawing for her new book!
Interested in winning a free copy but I’m also buying one (or two or three!) because I think it’s a great gift!
Thank you for sharing your reaction to this book. I’d love to win a cop and share it with my 14 year old daughter! At this stage in my life I feel an ever increasing need to connect to G-d on His terms through the classical prayer, but have a hard time personally connecting.
Since I don’t speak/read Hebrew and I have been trying to bow to the great unknown more, would love to read!
I am interested in winning a copy!
(Here? ) Interested.
Enter me please! This book sounds amazing. Been looking for something like this for a while. Thank you for sharing!
Definitely interested 😉
I would love to win a copy. Thanks for writing the post!
I would love to win a copy! I so relate to what you have written.
Love this and I would love to enter!
I’m glad that you’ve found a way to be excited about prayer again! 🙂
This sounds great! I am interested. I, too, am not that into prayer, even though, having gone to Jewish day school, I do know exactly what they mean. This book sounds awesome.
I would love a copy of the book for my daughter.
I would love to own this book.
I’d love to win a copy, Nina!
As usual, you are great with sharing information and resources, Nina. I’d love to win a copy of her book.
Very interested!!
Hey Nina, can you not pray natural prayers according to what you’re feeling in the moment or what your need is? King David did, and other people like Hannah – Samson’s mom did.
But that question aside, the book sounds like a perfect way to get around it. We need to get to those words in prayer that we can connect to, and not ones that are too archaic to touch our hearts. xoxo
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Such a good question! Jews can pray any time in any language anywhere, but when participating in synagogue prayer in Hebrew it’s easy to feel lost, especially when the English translations still feel awkward and foreign. There are also prayers to say at home (if you want to do the traditional one for waking up for example, or for baking bread) that are amazing to know simply because they’ve been said for thousands of years. But yes, we could skip those and do our own. Even in synagogue one could simply sit and reflect, but it’s powerful to be able to participle with the group. Great question!
I love Ruchi. And I love you. And it would be awesome to win. But if I don’t I’ll be sure to get an autographed copy from Ruchi. 🙂
Hi I would love to win! Thanks!
I would love Ruchi’s book!
Would love to enter. Thank you!
Would love it. Thanks!
Interested but I never win anything 🙂
This book looks like something I have been waiting for. Thanks for sharing.
I met Ruchi in 2011 on my 1st JWRP trip and she was incredibly inspirational. I would love to have her thoughts and wisdom at my fingertips! Pick me so I can continue moving up the ladder!
This is exactly what I have been looking for!! Thanks for sharing, Nina!!
I know I am too late for the contest, but just wanted to add a quick comment that I am in the same exact boat as you when it comes to prayer (this became even more evident after my niece’s recent bat mitzvah) and this book sounds very interesting. Thanks for sharing!