With mesorah in mind, should an Ashkenazi Jew keep Ashkenazi pronunciation for davening and brachot even where modern Hebrew dominates? And what about his children?
Q. Should an Ashkenazi always use an ashkenazi pronunciation when learning Torah, Davening, Making brachos, because of mesorah/tradition, even in Eretz Yisrael, when modern Hebrew is spoken with a Sephardic Pronunciation?
Firstly, the entire question is regarding davening, and brachot, but one can pronounce however he wants when learning Torah (where it’s actually preferred to pronounce the way one speaks, in order to aid understanding). Although there is importance to keeping one’s family’s customs, the most important issue here is that in most communities in Israel the Sefaradi pronunciation is clearly the accepted minhag and really everybody davening in such shuls should do as the others, and not be different, to avoid arguments (Psachim 50a). Although many have said that in large cities today all customs are accepted, it really depends on the shul. In most minyanim in Israel, and even more so in schools, there clearly is (!) an accepted minhag for Sefaradic pronunciation, which should be followed, and that supersedes one’s father’s previous custom. This is particularly important for our children, who have often seen Ashkenazic pronunciation as outdated and irrelevant (and they don’t like to be different from their peers), and we want them to understand and identify with prayer. For the sake of consistency and not getting confused, you should always use the same pronunciation wherever you are. Regarding tfilot as shliach tzibbur, one should pronounce the way of the shul.
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