These are a series of kavvanot prepared by Rabbi Emanuel S. Goldsmith (1935-2024), z”l, for a Shaḥarit service containing the call to prayer (Barkhu), the blessings preceding the Shema, tthe conclusion of the Amidah, before and after the Torah reading service, and Aleinu. Rabbi Ben Newman, who shared these kavvanot in eulogy for Rabbi Goldsmith in a Facebook post, writes, “My dear teacher, friend, and mentor Rabbi Dr. Emanuel Goldsmith died on Friday. He was an amazing man who taught me a lot about how to be a rabbi, a Reconstructionist, a liturgist, philosopher of religion, and Yiddishist. He also was the “head rabbi” who officiated at my wedding to Rabbi Shoshana Leis….I had him write out for me [these kavvanot] when I substituted for him leading at Congregation Mvakshe Derekh in Scarsdale, NY, 20 years ago as a student rabbi.”

Source(s)

kavanot for barkhu, yoster hameorot, and ahavah rabah (Emanuel Goldsmith ca. 2003)

kavanot for birkhat shalom (Emanuel Goldsmith ca. 2003)

kavanot for shema, torah reading, and aleinu (Emanuel Goldsmith ca. 2003)

“Kavvanot for a Shaḥarit Service, by Rabbi Emanuel S. Goldsmith (ca. 2003)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.

Emanuel S. Goldsmith

Rabbi Dr. Emanuel S. Goldsmith (1935-2024) was a scholar of Yiddish literature, interpreter of Reconstructionism, teacher of Judaism, and musical composer, who inspired students and congregants with his love of Jewish life in all its forms. He taught on the faculties of Brandeis University, the University of Connecticut, and Queens College. Dr. Goldsmith authored and edited many books and articles, including Modern Yiddish Culture, Dynamic Judaism, and Yiddish Literature in America 1870-2000. He also served on the boards of directors of the Congress for Jewish Culture, the Rena Costa Center for Yiddish Studies at Bar Ilan University, and the Highland Institute for American Religious Thought. Dr. Goldsmith led congregations in Halifax NS (Shaar Shalom Congregation), Hyde Park MA (Adas Hadrath Israel) and Scarsdale NY (Mevakshei Derech).

Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Aharon Varady (M.A.J.Ed./JTSA Davidson) is a volunteer transcriber for the Open Siddur Project. If you find any mistakes in his transcriptions, please let him know. Shgiyot mi yavin; Ministarot naqeni שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי־יָבִין; מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי "Who can know all one's flaws? From hidden errors, correct me" (Psalms 19:13). If you'd like to directly support his work, please consider donating via his Patreon account. (Varady also translates prayers and contributes his own original work besides serving as the primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project and its website, opensiddur.org.)

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." –Psalms 90:17