Sacred Music: Lifting the Soul Beyond Words
There is a moment in sacred music when the words dissolve and something deeper begins. The melody carries what…
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Laugh the Summer Away
A man is out in the woods when he comes across a bear. Frightened for his life, he runs…
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Give Me That Ol’time Traditional Melody
On occasion, congregants have asked me to sing more “traditional music.” My usual answer is to ask what specific…
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Kevah and Kavanah
Music, as Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel taught, provides the catalyst for connecting the disparate elements of the finely woven…
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Why the Choir Sings
When we walk into the high holy services at Temple Ramat Zion, we expect to see our choir, clothed…
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Keeping Shabbat
Shalom L’Kulam – Hey Everybody, So often, when speaking with congregants about their service attendance (or lack thereof),…
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Jewish Liturgical Music
So this edition is going to be rather academic as I would like to introduce you all to the…
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Music and the Essence of Judaism
I. Musical Instruments on Shabbat? A. Our portion today, Beshalach, mostly translated as When he let the people go,…
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The Meaning of the Shofar
For many, the blowing of the shofar is one of the most moving moments of the High Holy Days services. …
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Thoughts on Ekev
EKEV 2018 Tomorrow’s Torah reading begins “And if you do obey these rules and observe them carefully, [Ekev –…
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Liturgical Music
Avinu Malkeinu L’dor Vador Shalom Aleichem V’Shamru L’Cha Dodi Ahavat Olam Havu LaAdonai Hinei Ma Tov
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What is Freedom?
A couple of years ago, as we were coming out of Covid hibernation, I was reflecting on freedom. But…
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We Have Much to be Thankful
I love Thanksgiving. Take away all the pilgrims and indigenous people story and it is the only truly collective,…
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To Tweet or Not to Tweet Judaism
I recently read an article written by Rabbi Donniel Hartman, in which he made a comment about Twitter. As…
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Tikkun Olam: The Transformation of a Concept
In contemporary times, the words “tikkun olam” – repairing the world – have become synonymous with social action, but this is…
