Judeo-Arabic Liturgy: Practice and Culture.

Abstract

With so much emphasis on prayer in Judaism and its use as arguably the most effective method of connecting with G-d in a physical world, there is no surprise for the vastly complex details of how to pray, where to pray, what to pray, when to pray, and why pray to begin with. --/-- This thesis is going to focus on the “how to pray” and on the “what to pray” aspects of prayer and their practical implications in the everyday life of the Jew. Specifically, focus will be given to Jews who pray using the Oriental/Middle-Eastern cantorial rites of the Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewry in Israel and throughout the world—and how the current culture of Judeo-Arabic Hazzanut has transformed and will continue to transform with every generation. [from Introduction] --- Abstract There is a common belief that the hazzan is ultimately tasked with the job to set a certain mood for prayer; however, for professional hazzanim, this is not necessarily the whole picture. With Judeo-Arabic culture, the hazzan’s job is for the people. He is tasked with adjusting to the atmosphere, congregation, and environment he is performing in to help those among him relate to prayer, and thus connect to G-d in a more meaningful manner. As a result, in evocative Judeo-Arabic hazzanut, the congregation and culture will govern the hazzanut more than the hazzan will since the congregation sets the tone of the affair.