Dave UK: The Koren Siddur puts in the official prayer for the State of Israel including reishit tzmichat geulatenu, however, the language has been adjusted for chutz laaretz, ie “our dispersion” as opposed to “their dispersion” as is said in Israel.

Now that is a clear review! I’ll try and look for it when I’m Stateside next week.

It is beautiful, with a fantastic font, that includes the kometz gadol. (The kometz gadol is like a pocket knife – something you don’t imagine you’d need, until you start to carry it, at which point it becomes indispensible. )

The English translation is beyond compare. Instead of an afterthought, it is written by someone fluent and in command of the nuances and beauty of both languages. Rather than being stilted, it flows and it soars.

What a joy to read a translation of davening that is of a quality commensurate with its subject.

If you just have a few minutes in a bookstore with the siddur, check out the translation to shir hakavod. The rhyming (!!) English retains and clarifies the true meaning of the Hebrew while keeping the meter and imagery of the poetry.

It’s a siddur for people who think in English, appreciate well-written English, and who might like to read the left hand side of the page sometimes, rather than have it available only for the occasional word translation.

(At our Modern Orthodox shul, we use the RCA – black cover – Artscroll siddur, which has the prayer for the State of Israel, with the “reishit smichat ge’ulatainu”.)

Magnanimous came from the Artscroll translation of Tehillim.

Would that make chassidim a bunch of magnanimouses?