INTRODUCTION

(This prayer book was developed in collaboration between the Communities of Afro-Judaism and the Black Judaic Heritage Center. It was submitted to rabbis, mitpallelim (those who engage in regular prayer), laypersons and beginners for use and review prior to being published.)

The Siddur HaTalmid is an Afro-Jewish prayerbook (siddur) for Shacharit (Morning Prayer) designed for beginners, blending tradition with cultural renewal. Its cover features flowing waters of the sea—symbolizing the Exodus and return—framing a central Torah scroll. At the top of the cover, the Shema design (created by Ateret Designs) radiates between two mezuzot, while a shofar rests at the bottom, calling the soul to awaken. Together, these symbols express the journey of learning, return, and rootedness in Jewish prayer.

The purpose of this Siddur
This siddur iwas created as a gateway for those beginning or returning to the path of Judaism, offering a clear and welcoming way to engage with Shacharit, the morning prayers. It honors the journeys of Jews of African affinity whose traditions have often been overlooked, by restoring space for their voices within Jewish prayer. Here you will find not only a familiar structure of the Jewish liturgy, but also a way to engage the sounds, melodies, and styles drawn from across Africa—Lemba, Igbo and Abayudaya chants, North and West African rhythms, and echoes from the Caribbean and the Americas. These diverse traditions remind us that Judaism is a global faith, enriched by the many cultures that have carried it through history. May this personal siddur inspire you to pray with authenticity, to connect with your heritage, and to join your voice with the song of our people.

Our approach to the appellation “G-d”
It is the custom, in some forms of Afro-Judaism, to avoid using the English word “G-d” in prayer and instead render El/Eloah/Elohim as “Power” or ”Mighty One.” This choice arises from both a linguistic and theological sensitivity. In the book of Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 65:11, the prophet rebukes those who forsake the Eternal and “set a table for Gahd (גַּד),” a deity associated with fortune. Because the English word “G-d” sounds and appears nearly identical to Gahd, some Afro-Jewish communities view it as inappropriate, or at least spiritually confusing, to apply that term to the Holy One of Israel during prayer. By translating El/Eloah/Elohim as Power, we highlight the strength, sovereignty, and life-giving force of the Divine source, while affirming a return to a more Hebraic, culturally rooted expression of this holy name and attribute of YHWH (the Eternal Power who always was, is and shall be forever, Amein). This linguistic choice also reflects a broader Afro-Jewish effort to decolonize the language of prayer, aligning it more closely with an ancient Hebrew mindset and Afro-Jewish outlook.

In Kabbalistic teaching, the Divine Name Elohim is associated with the sefirah of Binah (understanding), while also connecting to the attribute of strength, judgment, and power required for creation (Zohar I:15a). Unlike the Tetragrammaton, which represents mercy (Hesed), Elohim conveys restraint, limitation, and the structured forces of creation. This is why many Afro-Jewish communities and mystically inclined teachers render Elohim as “Power,” emphasizing its connection to Divine might and the governing energy in the universe. Similarly, in the declaration Eloheinu (“our Power”), the sense is not merely a title, but an acknowledgment of the Source of all strength and authority. Thus, the translation “Power” also reflects both a mystical symbolism of “power” and the lived understanding of the Divine as the force sustaining life and justice.

African Judaism
Afro-Judaism in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas is a living bridge between dispersed descendants of Israel and the wider Jewish people, offering a path of return after the ruptures of colonialism and enslavement. From West and North Africa’s historical Jewish diasporas to East Africa’s Beta Israel and other emergent communities, and from Caribbean and American Bnei Anusim reclaiming Sephardic roots to Afro-Jewish congregations reviving biblical practice, these journeys are sustained by halakhic frameworks of welcome and repair. The concept of Tinoq Shenishba treats those estranged from Torah, through no fault of their own, with compassion and reintegration (Shabbat 68b; Rambam, Hilchot Mamrim 3:3; Chazon Ish, Yoreh De’ah 2:16). Bnei Anusim—the children of the coerced—are met in classic responsa (Teshubot) with empathy and practical pathways back to Jewish life (i.e. Rivash, R. Isaac ben Sheshet Perfet; Radbaz, R. David Ben Solomon ibn Abi Zimra; Maharam Alashkar, R. Moses Alashkar). Modern rulings likewise affirmed long-standing African Jewish identities, e.g., recognition of Beta Israel as part of Israel (Note: R. Ovadia Yosef, Yabia Omer VIII, Even-ha-Ezer 11 cited from a secondary source). Together these sources, alongside the Torah’s vision of gathering the scattered (Deut. 30:4), frame Afro-Judaism not as an “edge case” but as a core chapter of K’lal Yisrael—strengthening the whole by uniting diverse, scattered peoples in shared covenant and practice.

The Akan Israelites of Ghana (including Old Mali Jews), the Igbo Jews of Nigeria, the historic Jews of the Bilād As-Sūdān (inclusive of the West African Sahel), the Lemba of South Africa, and the Beta Israel of Ethiopia exemplify Afro-Jewish communities whose survival and renewal embody the dispersion of Israel across Africa and its diasporas. Their observances—circumcision, dietary laws, Shabbat, and Hebrew liturgy—are living echoes of ancient Israelite traditions that persisted despite colonial disruption, enslavement, and missionary pressure (Bruder, The Black Jews of Africa, 2008; Parfitt, The Lost Tribes of Israel, 2002). Rabbinic tradition affirms that such communities are not lost to history. Rabbi Eliezer Ben Yose in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 110b/111a; Pesikta Rabbati 31) taught that the Ten Tribes are destined to return. Prophets like Isaiah (11:11) and Zephaniah (3:10) foresaw the return of Israel’s remnant from Kush and “beyond the rivers of Ethiopia,” verses often linked by sages and modern scholars alike to Africa. Thus, the revival and recognition of these bonafide communities (not to be confused with the Black Hebrew-Israelite movement) is not only a testimony to Jewish resilience but also a signpost toward the prophetic and messianic hope that the scattered family of Israel will once again be gathered together.