V’al Kulam by Meir Finkelstein Performed by Cantor Lauren Adesnik, Sydney Levy, Ann Rollins V’al Kulam is a short blessing that concludes the Modim, or gratitude section of the Amidah, our standing prayer. The Amidah is the heart of our prayer service, when we offer our vulnerable prayers to God. This blessing moves us deeper into our encounter with the divine and expresses our gratitude for our ancestors and creation of the world, the universe,  everything in it,  and in the heavenly divine world as well. Click the link to enjoy! https://youtu.be/lomanqBFuPA … [Read more...]

Most of us are connected to a piece of music, or a melody, secular or religious that moves us to a different time and place. The melodies we hear on the High Holy Days are thick with meaning and tradition. Many of us have sung and prayed to these tunes for most of our lives. This year’s high holy days, without some of our most favorite tunes and missing the majestic depth of our choir, will certainly prove very different. I promise they will still be as meaningful and beautiful as ever! COVID-19 may have impeded in person choral singing, but we are not deterred. Coming to you in several Facebook Live presentations, on Instagram and on our website, are five incredible collaborations. Mah Tovu, Elohai N’tzor, and Sim Shalom are three of our most beloved choral settings at Temple Emanu-El. The textured harmonies add a sense of uplift, inspiration and an aura of drama and profound meaning to our high holy day prayers. Led by our fearless conductor Melissa Fontaine, guided by the … [Read more...]

The wailing siren signals the city to a halt. People step out of their cars on the highway, pause in their steps on the way to whatever is most important and pressing. This is the call of memory. The call of battles lost and won. The song of the voices of those who are no longer with us. This is Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s day of remembrance. We are low as we move through the day in sorrow and solemnity. We remember the fallen who lost their lives defending our Jewish home with memorial services; weaving text and poetry and song and silence. And then, as the last mournful melodies fade into the ether, Israel bursts into fanfare and color and light. Spectacular dancing and jumping and celebration abounds. In true Sabra fashion, our tears of sorrow instantly become tears and shouts of joy upon our Independence. The ability to hold both deep sorrow and exuberant joy in the same vessel is extraordinary. Israel’s example of being able to do so sets an example for us Diaspora Jews. Israel is a … [Read more...]

ITS HERE! I have been writing about this very special Friday night for some time now, and it is finally upon us! This Friday, we welcome a very special guest into our midst, my friend, and rising Jewish star, Charlie Kramer. Charlie is special because he has not only a beautiful voice,  he also writes gorgeous music. I am especially excited that he is coming because I was his Bar Mitzvah tutor a long time ago (not so long!). Charlie has an extraordinary gift of sharing his voice and his song through his blindness and elevating those with whom he shares it into a place of light and joy. Creative people like Charlie express their journey through their art, and Charlie is no exception. He is bringing to us a very awesome and extremely unique Shabbat experience called Singing in the Dark. Singing in the Dark is exactly as it sounds: we will be singing (praying) in the dark! Charlie created this Shabbat to give others a taste of what Jewish prayer and life is like for him. Charlie has … [Read more...]

“[One of the missions] of a Cantor is to lead in prayer. [S/He] does not stand before the Ark as an artist in isolation, trying to demonstrate his skill or to display vocal feats. [S/He] stands before the Ark not as an individual but with the congregation. [Her/His task] is to represent as well as to inspire a community. Within the synagogue, music is not an end in itself but a means of religious experience.”-A. J. Heschel, The Vocation of the Cantor I would also add that within a synagogue, music is not an end to itself, but a means of religious experience and creating community. An expert Cantor releases their soul through their voice, into the congregation with the intention of elevating and inspiring each person towards prayer, engaging in a connection to God, and by doing so together, creating one whole community with God’s presence at its center. Atlanta is welcoming two incredible Cantors into our midst in February. You have heard me talk and write about Cantor Barbara Ostfeld. … [Read more...]