What do I do with worn-out siddurim and old books that have God's name in them?

Here's what you need to know

Worn-out siddurim (prayer books) and other religious books that contain God's name should be treated with respect and buried, rather than thrown away.

The specific rule is

Place worn-out siddurim and other holy books with God's name in a genizah (a storage area for sacred texts) or in shaimos (arranging for them to be buried in a respectful manner).

Step by step

• Contact your local synagogue or Jewish community center to ask if they have a genizah service.
• Arrange for the books to be buried if a genizah is not available.

Background

Jewish tradition holds that any text containing God's name should not be discarded in a disrespectful manner. Instead, these texts are placed in a genizah or buried, similar to how one would treat a person with respect after passing. This practice is based on the idea that these texts have served a sacred purpose and deserve to be treated with dignity.

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