“Within the synagogue, music is not an end in itself but a means of religious experience. Its function is to help us to live through a moment of confrontation with the presence of God….religious music is an attempt to convey that which is within our reach but beyond our grasp.” A.J Heschel “Vocation of the Cantor” Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel loved music. Heschel loved music for not only its beautfy and inspiration but, also for the way music expresses the inexpressible. Heschel valued music so deeply because of its ability to elevate our spirits to a higher level, creating a closeness between one another as community, and a closeness between an individual and God. Coming up this month, we have an incredible amount of musical experiences to share with you. I hope that these experiences will emulate Heschel’s sense of sacred music, and that you will be moved, elevated, inspired and connected as individuals, as a community, with God in the center of that connection. Join me February 7th, … [Read more...]

Chag Urim Sameach- Happy Chanukah everyone! Last week, we began to read about Joseph, our favorite dreamer, and Jacob’s favorite son. Although he is a star in his father’s eyes, Joseph descends lower and lower: first into a pit, then through many slave trades, and finally down to Egypt. As Joseph descends toward his rock bottom, the Torah reminds us not once, but twice that God is with Joseph.  When Joseph moves through his many sales as a slave, God remains “with Joseph, when he was successful and also when he stayed in the house of his Egyptian master [Potiphar].” Later in the same chapter, as Potiphar throws Joseph in prison, we read for a second time, “Adonai was with Joseph, and whatever he did, Adonai made successful.” These two verses illumine that even in our darkest moments, or lowest of circumstances, God is with us, even when things are so dark that we cannot see or feel the light of God’s presence. The Or HaChayyim, a Moroccan born rabbi of the 18th century explains that … [Read more...]

There was once a great Cantor[1], “bound to the world of music” by the Baal Shem Tov[2] himself. This cantor rose to great heights and sang with incredible soul that he became known throughout the land as The Cantor of the Baal Shem Tov. At that time, it was hard to find a cantor without his meshor’rim- his choristers, who would harmonize spontaneously with the cantor and help those in the congregation to sing as well. This particular cantor had a bass who would travel with him to the different towns and villages where they would sing and harmonize together. When the cantor passed away, the angels summoned him to sing before the heavenly courts. The cantor insisted that he could not sing beautifully without his bass singer to join him. So, the heavenly court waited until the bass singer had also died, and then the two of them, cantor and bass, sang together in heaven. This story reminds us that music is meant to be shared, sung and experienced together. Cantors need their fellow … [Read more...]

Come celebrate with us! Start your Chanukah festivities this Sunday, December 15th at 4:00pm! This Sunday is an opportunity to experience something extraordinary. Join me at 4:00pm in our Sanctuary to hear the story of Chanukah through song. This is not just any song; it is a musical feast for the ears! Members of our TE adult choir will join choristers representing the major Atlanta metro area synagogues, (and even some folks from our neighborhood churches!) to perform Judas Maccabeus by G.F. Handel. Judas Maccabeus is an Oratorio, which is a large-scale musical work that utilizes choir, orchestra, and soloists to tell a narrative based on a religious theme or text. The entire oratorio is three hours long. My partners in crime, our conductors Melissa Fontaine and Amy Thropp, and I have crafted an afternoon of selections from this incredible work, that will narrate the story of Judas’s leadership and the victory of the Maccabees. Handel’s music paints the dejection, motivation, and … [Read more...]

This Friday marks Rosh Chodesh Kislev,  a month that is both the darkest and brightest month in the year. We move from our month free of holidays (Cheshvan) into winter and our celebration of Chanukah. This year, Chanukah aligns with winter solstice. Just as we move into the darkest nights of the year, we bring the brightness and joy of Chanukah with each additional candle we light over eight nights. Just in time, my Deep Dive into Chanukah begins next week! This three part stand-alone class series will uncover history, ritual and of course, music. Did you know that there are four main interpretations of why we celebrate Chanukah? The Chanukah story changed over time and its original intent is actually quite different from what we celebrate today. Join me and learn about how religion and politics shaped our early Jewish history and the celebration of Chanukah. How Many Candles Do We Light Anyway? We will uncover Chanukah rituals, the history of the dreidle, and learn why we add … [Read more...]