Nusach
This webpage is provided as a resource to the KJ/Ramaz family.
Rabbi Lookstein writes:
Originally, about thirty-five years ago, I recorded most of the davening that I learned from my two major teachers of davening: Mr. Joseph E. Adler and my father, Rabbi Joseph H. Lookstein, of blessed memory. A few years ago, I re-recorded everything anew and added selichot, the nusach for which I learned from Mr. Israel D. Rosenberg, of blessed memory. Now it is all available to everyone here on the Ramaz website.
This collection includes the weekday davening, Shabbat, Shalosh Regalim, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Selichot. For Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, I did not include Mussaf or Kol Nidre night because I didn’t learn the nusach for those prayers from Mr. Adler, and therefore I am not as sure of the nusach for those prayers.
During the course of presenting the nusach for all of these services, I introduce comments having to do with pronunciation and phraseology which were very important to my teachers and which remain very much a part of my own davening style. I also occasionally address the need to give special emphasis and interpretation to certain words.
When I began this project more than three decades ago, my goal was to make sure that the nusach of Mr. Adler and the style of davening of my father would not be lost. I am grateful to God that the magic of the internet has ensured that my intention will actually be fulfilled. I am also very grateful to Rami Yadid, Director of Music Technology and Amplification at Ramaz, who helped me to re-record everything on CDs and spent hours with me on this project.
All good wishes to our extended family for a K'tiva va-chatima tova.
September 2012 / Elul 5772