''Gates of Prayer, the New Union Prayer Book'' (''GOP'') is a Reform Jewish

siddur A siddur ( he, סִדּוּר ; plural siddurim ) is a Jewish prayer book containing a set order of daily prayers. The word comes from the Hebrew root , meaning 'order.' Other terms for prayer books are ''tefillot'' () among Sephardi Jews, ' ...

that was announced in October 1975 as a replacement for the 80-year-old ''

Union Prayer Book The ''Union Prayer Book'' was a Siddur published by the Central Conference of American Rabbis to serve the needs of the Reform Judaism movement in the United States. History An original version of the prayer book was published in 1892, based on th ...

'' (''UPB''), incorporating more Hebrew content and was updated to be more accessible to modern worshipers. The prayer book was officially approved by the Joint Commission on Worship of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (now the Union for Reform Judaism) and the Central Conference of American Rabbis.Spiegel, Irving
"RABBIS ANNOUNCE NEW PRAYER BOOK; Translations Modernized in Reform Group's First Revision in 80 Years"
'' The New York Times'', October 11, 1975. Accessed March 5, 2009.

Many changes

There were many changes in wording aimed at gender neutrality, such as changing "our fathers" to "our ancestors". The "thees" and "thous" of the ''UPB'' were all changed to "you". A wide variety of prayer options are offered, including ten for Friday night services, six for Shabbat morning and others for holidays, weekdays and other special occasions. Additional readings were included from philosophers Martin Buber and

Alfred North Whitehead Alfred North Whitehead (15 February 1861 – 30 December 1947) was an English mathematician and philosopher. He is best known as the defining figure of the philosophical school known as process philosophy, which today has found applicat ...

; poets E. E. Cummings, John Masefield and Nelly Sachs; Rabbi

Abraham Joshua Heschel Abraham Joshua Heschel (January 11, 1907 – December 23, 1972) was a Polish-born American rabbi and one of the leading Jewish theologians and Jewish philosophers of the 20th century. Heschel, a professor of Jewish mysticism at the Jewish T ...

and from Elie Wiesel. In its 779 pages, ''Gates of Prayer'' added services to commemorate

Israeli Independence Day Independence Day ( he, יום העצמאות ''Yom Ha'atzmaut'', lit. "Day of Independence") is the national day of Israel, commemorating the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948. The day is marked by official and unofficial ceremonies ...

and The Holocaust, reflecting the changed realities from the days of the ''Union Prayer Book''. An optional Hebrew opening format was offered for the first time and Friday night service variations were included, all reflecting a greater acceptance of traditional forms of Jewish worship that had been eliminated in the ''UPB''. The ''GOP'' sold 50,000 copies in its inaugural year and had sales of some 1.5 million as of 2006.Stevens, Elliot L
"The Prayer Books, They Are A'Changin'"
, reprinted from ''

Reform Judaism (magazine) ''Reform Judaism'' was the official magazine of the Union for Reform Judaism. The magazine was established in 1972. Its print edition had a quarterly circulation to nearly 300,000 households, synagogues, and other Jewish institutions. The last i ...

'', Summer 2006. Accessed March 4, 2009.

Criticism and follow-up

''Gates of Prayer'' was criticized as being a non-cohesive collection of prayers, resulting in a prayer book that was too large, and for its retention of masculine pronouns when referring to God. To address these issues, some congregations prepared their own prayer materials (often with edits to neutralize gender) or continued use of the ''Union Prayer Book''. A project to address these concerns and increase the poeticism of a future prayerbook was initiated in 1981. Israeli poet T. Carmi was brought in to provide guidance on post-biblical Hebrew texts that could be incorporated into the Reform liturgy. The "Carmi Project" generated hundreds of possibilities, many of which would later be integrated into ''

Mishkan T'filah ''Mishkan T'filah—A Reform Siddur'' is a siddur, prayer book prepared for Reform Judaism, Reform Jewish congregations around the world by the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR). ''Mishkan T'filah (משכן תפלה)'' is Hebrew for "Dw ...

'', the successor to ''Gates of Prayer''.

References

{{Reflist

External links

''Gates of Prayer''
(official website) * A. Stanley Dreyus (1991),
The Gates Liturgies: Reform Judaism Reforms Its Worship
in: Paul F. Bradshaw and Lawrence A. Hoffman, eds., ''The Changing Face of Jewish and Christian Worship in North America'' (Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press), 1991. 1975 non-fiction books Reform Judaism Reform Zionism Siddur versions