Rabbi Howard Morrison

Over a month ago, two of my teachers from rabbinical school passed away, Rabbis Israel Francus and Avraham Holtz, zichronam l'veracha.

This week, Rabbi Jules Harlow, z"l, has passed away. I met him first before entering rabbinical school at Camp Tel-Noar, a retreat center in New England, where he taught during a Shabbaton for the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs. His academic field was liturgy. Rabbi Harlow had an ability and expertise of updating the Siddur while retaining its traditional core. He was involved in the 1961 Rabbinical Assembly Weekday Prayerbook before becoming more noteworthy for the 1970's Rabbinical Assembly Machzor and the first rendition of Siddur Sim Shalom in the mid 1980's.

Unlike the style of most Siddurim today, Rabbi Harlow did not believe in appending a commentary to the text of the Siddur. I heard him speak to this point. He distinguished between praying a text and studying a text. Thus, the first Siddur Sim Shalom had almost no commentary. He was proud that it was the first Siddur Shalem, complete prayerbook, published by the Conservative Movement for weekdays, Sabbaths, and Festivals. My previous congregation in Long Island used that Siddur.

In the 1990's when the Conservative Movement first grappled with adding the matriarchal names to the Amidah, he spoke and wrote in opposition because of his genuine fidelity to the liturgy, notwithstanding that he had supported other modifications.

In my current congregation, we use other Siddurim. However, we use his Al Ha'Nisim on Yom Ha'Atzmaut. We have also used his version of Nachem on Tisha B'Av. We also use his prayer for peace from Siddur Sim Shalom every Shabbat.

Rabbi Harlow was a mentch and a scholar.

Yhi Zichro Baruch - May his memory be a blessing.

Sincerely,
Rabbi Howard Morrison