Polish-Jewish Relations: 1,300 Keyword-Phrase-Indexed Book Reviews (by Jan Peczkis)


Jewish Chosenness Repudiated Reconstructionist


Sabbath Prayer Book: With a supplement containing prayers, readings and hymns and with a new translation, by Jewish Reconstructionist Foundation. 2017

Jewish Reconstructionist Prayer Book Repudiates “Jews are Chosen People”

This book (review based on the 1945 edition) contains prayers for many different occasions. Many of the prayers are Psalms. Other prayers revolve around the Sabbath itself. Still others deal with doubts about God, recovery from illness, anniversary of a wedding or death, etc. There is Kaddish. There are prayers for Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah, Purim, Hanukah, etc. Other prayers are related to American civic holidays.

Here is the text concerning Jewish Chosenness:

(Quote) In conformity with this principle, departures have been made in the prayer book from the traditional worship-text, as follows: a.The traditional worship-text on occasion asserts or implies the superiority of Israel over other peoples. This prayer book continues the faith that Israel plays a unique role in God’s design for mankind. Believing, however, that all peoples are also called to serve him, each with its unique talents and gifts, it eliminates all invidious contrast between Israel and other peoples. (unquote). (p. xviii).

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