Leslie examines the siddur type material in the book, but does not speculate on its possible function. I will do so here. Above are two images from the HUC, affixed to this manuscript. Here, the prayers are labeled as erev Sabbath. But as we shall see, they are much broader than this. Leslie translated the pages of the siddur materials, and attempt to find their place in the liturgy. Let look at his process closely. To see the full text of Leslie's work on the Memorial book, click here:
Page one of the books begins in the middle of a passage, and it heavily damaged:
Leslie translates and examines it thus:
He notes here that this page is mostly passage of the Service of the Reading of the Law, so this would be for a Torah Service.
Page Two:
Here, Leslie mainly finds parts of the morning Shabbat service.
Page 3
These are more Sabbath prayers
Page 4:
These prayers are found in the Sabbath evening services
Page 5
This appears to be the morning and evening service (of the Sabbath?)
Page 6:
Here is the Kaddish de Rabbanan, the Rabbi's Kaddish, which as Leslie states, is found nowhere else in Kaifeng works.
Page 7:
This is the 'standard' Kaddish
Page 8:
On this page, prayers for Hannukah begin.
Page 9:
And they continue on this page.
Page 10:
In the last part of this page, are prayers for Purim
Page 11:
Purim prayers continue on this page.
Page 12:
And continue here as well.
Page 13:
These are most likely prayers for Rosh Hashanah.
Page 14:
And continues on this page.
Page 15:
This prayer is for Shemini Atzeret.
Page 16:
On this page is the Grace After Meals, Birkat Hazmon
Page 17:
and those prayers continue on this page.
Page 18:
and here they continue.
Page 19:
and continues here.
Page 20:
The Birkat Hazon continues here, and then ends in a series of biblical quotes.
Pages 22-24 are blank, and then begins the list of deceased Kaifeng Jewish men on page 25.
Page 64, after the conclusion of the men's section, is very important:
This is a [part of] the yizkor prayer, which is recited at Yom Kippur to remember the dead. This text has prayers from Shabbat, Kaddish, standard and the rabbi's, prayers for Hannukah, Purim, Rosh HaShanah, Shemini Atzeret, Grace After Meals, and concludes with several biblical blessings. The deceased are then named by clan, and follow with prayers for the Yizkor service of Yom Kippur.
Either this book was used as a storge place for various prayers, and a memorial book for deceased, or they are conjoined. I believe that this was part of some ritual or service enacted by the community following the Flood of 1642. A greatest hits of Jewish services were read, and then the names of the dead members was recited, followed by yizkor. Was this book used doing the rites of ancestor veneration involving the cleaning of tombs? Was this book the central bit of liturgy in a hybrid Confucian (or generally Chinese folk religious) and Jewish ceremony? It seems possible. But what do does the women's section of this book tell us?
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