Our Father, our King, our Judge

The liturgy in the prayers of the Days of Awe

The prayers for the Days of Awe have been enhanced over the generations by a rich variety of liturgies. This is the reason for their grandiose length. Through a study of two liturgical works from the Rosh Hashanah prayer book, “Avinu Malkeinu” and “Shofet Kol HaAretz”, we will clarify the process of shaping the singing in the prayers for the Days of Awe, and the forms of their musical performance.

Prof. Edwin Seroussi is a lecturer in the musicology department and director of the Jewish Music Research Centre at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.