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Frequently Asked Questions
Why would I want a custom prayerbook?
People have lots of reasons for creating their own prayerbooks.
The books are lighter and easier to handle than many hardcover
prayerbooks. They have only the prayers that will actually
be read at the service, and in the exact order that you
will use, so there's no page skipping and no distracting
announcements of page numbers. They include the Torah and
Haftarah portion of the week, so you don't have to juggle
books and spend a lot of time finding pages. If you will
have guests who are not comfortable with Hebrew, transliteration
can make it easier for them to participate. Explanations
of rituals and symbols are interesting for everyone. And
best of all, your prayerbook is a wonderful memento that
reflects the reason you are having the celebration in the
first place.
How do I get started?
Just call! We will ask you a lot of easy questions, like
what kind of event you are planning, the date and time of
day of the service, and what style of service you will use:
Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, or "your
own". Then we will put together a draft for you to look
at.
I don't have time for snail mail. How can I see the draft?
Nobody wants to wait. That's why SingerSiddur does everything
possible by email. The draft is in Adobe Acrobat™
(PDF) format, so anyone with Acrobat Reader™
can download it and see the pages exactly as they will appear
in your siddur.
Which translations do you use?
SingerSiddur has licensing agreements to use the English
translations from:
•
CCAR
Press (Reform Movement) prayer books - the "Gates"
series, but not Mishkan Tefilah,
•
Jewish Reconstructionist
Federation - Kol
Haneshamah prayer books,
• Bloch Publishing Company
- Hertz Authorized (Orthodox) prayer book,
•
Jewish Publication Society
- Tanakh: Torah, Haftarah, and other Bible texts.
We also work with the Rabbinical
Assembly to get permission for members of Conservative
congregations to use the translations from Siddur Sim
Shalom.
Can I include my own readings and notes?
Of course. That is what a custom siddur is all about. Anything
you write yourself is fine: a welcome note to your guests,
a prayer of thanksgiving or hope for the future, a personal
response to a prayer in the service, remembrances of family
members and friends... If you find a wonderful poem or song
or translation, we do require permission from the author.
That is generally easy to get, and we have lots of experience.
In fact, SingerSiddur may already have permission from your
favorite author or composer; just ask us.
What about artwork and graphics?
Original art can make a siddur very beautiful and meaningful.
Many types of graphics can be scanned in and inserted among
the prayers. Talk to us about whatever you have in mind.
If it is your own work, or if we can get permission from
the copyright owner to use it, we will be happy to include
it.
Can I get creative with fonts?
Sure. SingerSiddur has a large selection of Hebrew and English
fonts to suit any taste. Call us and we'll email you a sampler.
OK.
How much will it really cost me?
For a standard Shabbat or weekday service - Conservative,
Orthodox, Reconstructionist or Reform - in one of our standard
formats, the costs are:
• Design and layout: $325
• Print setup: $150
• Printing/binding (per
book): $4.25, plus shipping
For most projects, there will also be some royalties for
the use of various translations, generally under $50 per
project.
This
includes the Torah and Haftarah portions, a welcome letter
from the family, a list of honors, and some other custom
features. More
customized siddurim are somewhat more.
BOTTOM LINE: you can get 200 beautiful custom siddurim for
under $6.90 each, or 100 for about $9.50 each.
Call
us for a fast estimate:
440-725-354
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