What’s happening locally?

Among the Reform congregations in The Jewish Voice circulation area, Temple Sinai, in Cranston, and Temple Habonim, in Barrington, will be using “Mishkan HaNefesh” for all High Holiday services.

Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser, of Temple Sinai, called the new machzor an improvement over the old, which has been used since 1978.

“There is transliteration of every Hebrew prayer to make the prayer book easier to use for people who do not read the Hebrew alphabet. There is a variety of commentaries and interpretative readings to go with almost every prayer to make the worship experience richer and more varied,” he said.

“The translations are more poetic and contemporary. The language is ‘gender inclusive’ – the prayer book does not pretend that all of our ancestors were men or that God should always be described as a male.”

Temple Beth-El, in Providence, will use some parts of the new machzor during the second day of Rosh Hashanah services, according to Rabbi Sarah Mack, but will wait a year or two to switch completely.

– FRAN OSTENDORF