This past Sunday we gathered as a synagogue family with children as young as 12 years old to raise our voices, share our feelings, and learn what meaningful action we can take to reduce gun violence in our community. This was a hard, heart-wrenching conversation. The feelings of fear, anger, and sadness expressed by our middle school and high school students cut to the very core our being. We reinforced the need to voice these feelings, and that as their rabbis and cantor, we will always be “safe adults” to whom they can turn. We know our Temple Emanu-El family does not stand alone in the need to give voice to these feelings or take action. The Atlanta Rabbinical Association (ARA) has organized around the cause of gun violence prevention, and Temple Emanu-El is working collaboratively with each synagogue in the Atlanta area on this issue. Just over four weeks since the shooting in Parkland, Florida and a movement of citizens fed up with unmitigated gun violence is beginning to … [Read more...]
It is the greatest story that ever has been told.
One that gave the pilgrims courage to leave the tyranny of King George, to chance the bitter wilderness of the Atlantic Ocean, hoping for the promised land that they would call America. One that provided a ray of light for the African-American slaves through the horrors of slavery, for, they thought, ‘if God was present for the Israelite slaves in the bible, God is there for us as well.’ It was this sliver of faith that kept hope alive. One that has been the cornerstone of faith for countless people who have struggled through depression, addiction, and abuse. It is the story that transcends entertainment into the profound, and into the sublime. And each year, we Jews begin telling our story with a brisket, some matza, and cheap red wine. Where else but around our dinner table (extended through the living room, with mismatched place settings) could we possibly extend memory from our parents and grandparents back to our exodus from Egypt, while at the same time creating … [Read more...]
“Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.”
John Lack spoke these words 12:01 August 1, 1981 upon the launch of MTV. The first music video shown was The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star, followed by Pat Benatar’s “You Better Run.” The world of pop music would never be the same. Watching your favorite stars tell their stories, instead of just listening to their music changed the way the world experienced the sounds of secular music. The videos added a personal connection from artist to viewer and gave the audience a sense of theater, with choreography and dance elements. Additionally, music television helped to elevate burgeoning artists and new genres of popular music while keeping the world up to date with pressing news of the times. Ladies and gentlemen of Temple Emanu-El: let’s rock and roll with some new Jewish tunes! Today, March 15th, 2018, Jewish Music Television is born! JMtV is a video campaign that will showcase newer, and new (with a few “oldies” thrown in there too) synagogue music. Every Tuesday catch … [Read more...]
A Shabbos Treat for the Soul!
For the lucky few who grew up in Borough Park, Brooklyn during the Golden Age of the Cantorate,[1] the voices of their famous “neighborhood” cantors would become an inspiration. For the future generations of cantors, bringing a sense of “hazonishe moyl”[2] (an authentic Jewish sound) became a true mission and aspiration. A “hazonishe moyl” is more than just a beautiful singing voice. Rav Nachman writes that “the cantor is called a hazzan (sacred musician) from the language of vision (hazon; hazzan and hazon share the same root: h.z.n) that is the language of prophecy, because [the hazzan] snatches the song from the place from where the prophets suckle.[3] In other words, a true hazzan is as inspirational as a prophet; using his or her voice in song to help their congregation connect with the larger questions of existence. This is no easy feat. My teacher, Chazzan Jack Mendelson grew up with the teachings, inspiration and voices of Cantors Moshe and David Koussevitzky, and … [Read more...]
“Rabbi Max, how do I begin to talk about Israel?”
Parents who so adeptly speak to their children about drug abuse, sexual consent, or gun violence, sometimes fail to find the words to speak about Israel. Even if we have the words, we often rely on stock phrases like, “Well, it’s complicated.” Yes, Israel is complicated, but that does not mean it’s incomprehensible to an adult or a child. What we must do is talk. We will start from what we feel or what we know, and then we will build. We will talk about what we yearn for, and then, perhaps, we will discover what we, as our bravest selves, would do. There are no short answers or fact-sheets to hand out that could answer all of our questions (but they could answer some, and I do have fact-sheets if you have a quick question); rather, there is only an evolving dialogue which brings us to greater depths (or heights) of understanding. Israel is an existential part of what it means to be Jewish in the 21st century, but it is not an either/or proposition. Whether we are speaking about … [Read more...]
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