On The Derekh’s inception centered around the concept of this siddur. It was our first publication (2014) and remains the most comprehensive Moroccan Sephardic siddur on the market. It contains weekday and Shabbat prayer and is inclusive of traditions throughout Morocco, covering both the French and Spanish Moroccan customs.
This prayer book was named Siddur Tefillat Shemuel in memory of Sr. Samuel Oziel, z”l, the master of the Classic Series of prayer books.
This edition was dedicated in honour of Rachel & Meir (z”l) Benmergui, and Celia & Isadore (z”l) Bullion by their children, Joe & Mindy, and grandchildren, Michael and Sarah.
Featuring:
Not everyone wants a siddur with over 1,000 pages and an English translation. As well, many ancillary prayers found in other siddurim were not included in Siddur Tefillat Shemuel — Benmergui Edition as they were not directly connected to the weekday and Shabbat prayers. The content in the Benmergui Edition was limited in scope due to its page count and our choice not to compromise on the font size.
Siddur Tefillat Shemuel — Serruya Edition is the natural counterpart to the Benmergui Edition. This edition does NOT feature an English translation of the prayers (i.e., each two-page spread has Hebrew prayers on both sides). It does, however, maintain an English commentary, instructions, halakhot (Laws & Customs sections), and sources on the margins.
Featured in this edition are all the aforementioned supplemental prayers that were excluded from the Benmergui Edition, including:
For the Jewish People, there is no day of the year holier than Yom Kippur. It stands out as the day that all Jews commit to a long day of fasting and repentance. Each kehilah joins together at their synagogue, harnessing the power of communal prayer to beseech the Merciful Judge to have compassion on His people. Such a solemn and consequential day imposes considerable demands on each of us to dedicate our minds and open our hearts to the task at hand. How much more enhanced would our efforts be if we could understand the basic translation and the deeper explanations of our prayers? For the English-speaking Jew of Moroccan descent who is interested in attaining this level of cognizance, Emet LeYa’akov is essential.
This prayer book is built in the same structure and style as Siddur Tefillat Shemuel — Benmergui Edition. It features English instructions, translation, commentary, prayer laws, and sources. Within the Moroccan Sephardic tradition, the liturgy on Yom Kippur varies more so than on other holy days. The variance in prayer arrangement and songs (piyutim) between the common practice of communities from the Spanish-speaking northern part of Morocco versus the rest of the country demanded separate arrangements of the machzor. As such, we published two versions of Emet LeYa’akov – The Oziel Edition is tailored to those who follow the Spanish-Moroccan custom, and the Rbibo Edition is arranged according to the French-Moroccan nusach.
VaYashkem Moshe was On The Derekh’s second publication (launched in 2018). It is a prayer book for the daily Selichot service that begins on the first of Elul in preparation for Yom Kippur. Despite the solemn nature of these prayers, Moroccan Sephardic Jews are especially inspired by the melodies and collaborative performance of its service.
Leon Elmaleh was the driving force behind this project. In 2017, he approached On The Derekh with the desire to honour his mother, Marie Elmaleh, z”l, who was deeply inspired by the Selichot prayer service. For 35 years, Mrs. Elmaleh was the executive administrator at Petah Tikva Congregation, the largest and oldest Sephardic synagogue in Ontario. She was a beloved matriarchal figure in the Toronto Sephardic community whose warm demeanor made the synagogue a welcoming place. During the production of this book, Leon’s father, Moses Elmaleh, z”l – a stalwart community leader in Toronto – passed away. Moses was a founding member of Minyan Sepharad Congregation in Thornhill, Ontario. For 40 years he served as the parnass, was responsible for the chevrah kadisha, and tirelessly performed acts of chessed with a dedication to halakhah and tradition. Upon Moses’ passing, this project expanded into a dedication of the collective memory of Moses & Marie Elmaleh by the their children and grandchildren.
VaYashkem Moshe features English instructions, translation, commentary, halakhot, and sources in the same style as Siddur Tefillat Shemuel – Benmergui Edition.
On the Derekh’s most popular publication (launched in 2023) is a prayer book for the Jewish national day of mourning, Tishah BeAv. In today’s age, a large number of Sephardic Jews find it challenging to relate to Tishah BeAv in concept and practice. As we solemnly sing kinot throughout the day, many of us lack a deep understanding of their poetic structures and meaningful lessons. Considering the significance of this gap, and the fact that it has not been filled by any other siddur in the greater Sephardic community, many rabbis encouraged us to prioritize this project. We hope that Siddur Rachel Mevakah will fill the void and bring some light to this dark day.
This Tishah BeAv prayer book is for all Sepharadim. The main prayer text follows the Moroccan Sephardic tradition with the inclusion of Edut HaMizrach customs when they differ. All Hebrew prayer services of Tishah BeAv are included — Arvit, Shacharit, Minchah, and Motzaé Tishah BeAv. The structure and style of the siddur follows Siddur Tefillat Shemuel: Benmergui Edition and features English instructions, translation of all the prayers and kinot (all 138 of them!), commentary, halakhot (Laws & Customs sections), and sources on the margins.
The Tishah BeAv siddur is called “Rachel Mevakah” in memory of Raquel Abecassis Kassin.
