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Adon Olam

“Master of the universe who reigned before any form was created.  At the time when His will created all things, then as “King” His Name was proclaimed…” (Source: The Schottenstein Edition Siddur for the Sabbath and Festivals, page 129).  We say these words in Hebrew at the end of our Shabbat Services on Shabbat Morning and even most Friday Evenings.

The Adon Olam is a short piyut or poetic hymn which was incorporated into the Shachrit service in the 1500s, however it has been a part of the Liturgy since the 1400s. There are several authors credited with composing the Adon Olam including Solomon ibn Gabirol, Rav Sherirah Gaon, and Rav Hai Gaon to name a few.  Adon Olam initially was used as an introduction to the morning service and also as a closing prayer.  In the Moroccan tradition it was used as a wedding song.  Not only chanted at weddings and services, Adon Olam has also been recited prior to going to sleep and even chanted at deathbeds.

“The hymn glorifies the supremacy of G-d, His omnipotence, and His providence.” (Source: The Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer by Macy Nulman, Page 7).  There are a variety of different versions of Adon Olam.  For example, the Ashkenaz version has 10 lines or 6 stanzas, while a Sefardic version has 14 lines or 7 stanzas.  Both versions focus on the same themes of the Eternal and our faith in the providence of G-d.  Other lines connect us to the Psalms in different ways.  “Adon Olam references some of the most famous lines in Psalm 23. Where the Psalm says, ‘I fear no evil for You are with me,’ Adon Olam repeats, ‘G-d is with me, I have no fear.’ Where the psalmist exalts that ‘my cup runneth over’ Adon Olam refers to G-d as ‘my cup of life.’ (Source: Adon Olam A Short Hymn that Summarizes the Jewish Understanding of G-d, https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/adon-olam/)

The opening word of Adon means Master or L-rd which was first Spoken by Avraham in B’reishit Chapter 15 Verse 2, “But Abram sad, ‘O L-rd G-d, what can You give me…’” (Source: Etz Hayim Torah and Commentary, Page 82).   In this section Avraham is reminded that he remains childless, even though he was promised that his children shall inherit the land that he sees, then who but Eliezer, his servant, should inherit all his wealth.  It is at that point that G-d once again re-affirms his promise to Avraham, thus re-affirming Avraham’s faith and trust.

Next to the Sh’ma the Adon Olam is one of the most well-known and beloved prayers.  Due to the nature of the piyut it can be sung to almost any melody.  To name a few more popular tunes –  Gilligan’s Island, Yankee Doodle, Take Me Out to the Ballgame, Frozen, Broadway Songs, Yiddish Songs, Patriotic Songs,  Beatles songs, Operas and so many others.  What is your favorite tune for Adom Olam?  When we have a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, many times family members will join together on the Bima and lead the Congregation in Adon Olam.  When there is no Bar or Bat Mitzvah many times students from our Religious School will join us on the Bima and lead our DHJC Community in Adon Olam.

As we join together and sing the various melodies let us take some time to ruminate upon the meaning of the words and how they can connect us, not only to each other, but to our faith in G-d.

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Jewish Music in Italy

Jewish Music has a fascinating history.  Depending on where the Jews have settled, our music has been influenced by the surrounding culture, while at the same holding onto much of our traditional melodic and liturgical practices.  One of the areas that I have begun researching is the Jews of Italy and their musical traditions.

Did you know that Jewish people have a long history in Italy originating over two thousand years ago.  The music of the Jewish people in Italy has three distinct influences: “…Italian, Ashkenazi and Sephardic traditions, with Italian musical culture and its innumerable cultural, regional and linguistic differences.” (Source: ON THE MUSIC OF THE JEWS OF ROME – Francesco Spagnolo, University of California, Berkeley) I learned on the Cantors Assembly Mission to Spain in 2016 that Sephardic Jews from Spain emigrated to Italy and Greece to escape the Inquisition.

Most of us are familiar with Italian music as Opera, sung by amazing voices with power and passion.  And so liturgical music followed with many compositions written in the Operatic style.  As Jewish music developed in Italy during the time of the Haskalah (Emancipation) in the 19th Century, Cantors and lay composers began creating amazing choral repertoires and even adding instrumental music to the prayer experience.

The music of the Synagogue was not the only place where the Jews had their presence felt.  Jewish musicians were active during the late Renaissance / Baroque period.  After the Haskalah, Jewish performers and composers became involved with Opera and even composed operettas. Some served at court as concert masters where they entertained Dukes and their guests.

Much of the origins of the Italian music culture can be found in the works of Salamone Rossi, an Italian Jewish composer and violinist (ca. 1570 – 1630).  Rossi is unique because he not only composed and entertained for court, he also wrote Jewish liturgical compositions using popular music of his time (Baroque), and using the Hebrew language.  His music represents the blending of the Italian Musical style during that time period and the liturgical style of the Synagogue.

By the beginning of the 20th century Jewish involvement in the Italian music scene became prominent, including musicologists, ethnomusicologists, performers, and music historians, several of whom taught in universities.  Unfortunately, by the late 1930s Mussolini’s regime enacted strong Anti-Semitic laws, which forced the Jewish presence out of the general Italian musical community.  Many of the composers of the time fled Italy and only a few of the families returned.

Though we have a lot of records of the music of the Jewish people in Italy, much of the creativity came to a sudden halt during the time of the Holocaust.  After the Holocaust there has been a reconstruction of Jewish communities and their liturgy in Italy.  Much of this was done via recordings, public performances and education.  There was a strong oral musical tradition that kept Italian Jewish Music alive during troubling times.

Much of the work created by Jewish composers, not only in Italian music but also Liturgical music was lost during this period.  Only now, through research are we finding out names of many of these composers, performers, and musicians, and their musical works.

Join My wife Kathy and myself in 2021 – June 28 – July 8 along with the Cantors Assembly through Ayelet Tours as we take a Journey to Italy.

 

 

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Passover Message 2020

Why is this Passover different from all other Passovers?

Maybe this should be the fifth question that we ask. Normally we are getting the house cleaned, tables set, food prepared, Afikomen Gifts, and so on. We are getting set for a Passover Seder with family and friends in attendance. We are looking forward to the telling of the story of our journey to freedom from being slaves in Egypt, and how G-d through Moses leadership leads us on that journey.

However this year we are slaves once again – not to a Tyrant like Pharoah, but instead we are slaves to a nasty Pandemic: Covid – 19. This is unlike anything we have seen in our lifetimes. Sure, SciFi Channel has plenty of fantasy shows and movies about Pandemics, but as we can see it is not like our current reality.

We should now be looking to who our Moses is? Who will take up that Mantle and help to free us from this “Slavery”. Instead of one Moses, there are several. They are the EMTs and First Responders, they work for the CDC and WHO. They are the scientists, the Doctors, the Nurses who are working tirelessly to find a cure, a vaccine, a way to stop Covid – 19 from spreading. They are those who are on the front lines who deal with the repercussions of this Pandemic.

Our Aarons and Miriams are the delivery people, mail people, workers who put their own lives on the line to make sure that those of us stuck in the Slavery of Quarantine have what we need to get by. They are the Tech Companies and their employees who keep the portals running like Zoom, Google Classroom, and others that keep us connected – if not physically, then through a virtual reality where we can see and hear each other. Though not perfect, it gives those of us in isolation the ability to connect with each other.

Like the Ancient Hebrews who crossed the Sea of Reeds to escape to Freedom, we too will have our Sea of Reeds which we will cross. And like the ancient Hebrews we will not be the same after this experience, but instead we will be stronger, we will come out of this Pandemic – reborn into a new people, a people who will have an appreciation for each other and for our lives.

May our Seders this year – albeit in isolation, though broadcast through a Virtual Medium – bring us joy, song, and an appreciation for each other.

 

 

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וּנְתַנֶה תֹּֽקֶף קְדֹֻשַּת הַיּוֹם, כִי הוּא נוֹרָא וְאָיוֹם

Every High Holy Day we sing the Un’taneh Tokef Prayer as part of the Musaf Amidah.  The basic meaning of this prayer is: “Let us describe the power of the holiness of this day, for it is awesome and fearsome…You will open the Book of Remembrances, and it will be read by itself, and the signature of every person is within it…On Rosh Hashanah it will be inscribed, and on the day of the fast of Yom Kippur, it will be sealed how many will pass away, and how many will be created, who will live, and who will die…but repentance, prayer and charity nullify the harsh sentence…”

The Un’taneh Tokef Prayer was written approximately one thousand years ago.  Because of the dramatic and moving imagery it also was including during the Yom Kippur service.  This powerful prayer was intended to evoke a sense of trepidation and awe as we stand before G-d’s throne for judgment.  As if all of humanity passes before G-d like sheep beneath the staff.

Not only does this prayer describe the frailty and transience of humanity, and the fear that we should feel, it also notes G-d’s supreme mercy, noting that by changing one’s heart and life will overturn even the most severe decree of punishment.

The Un’taneh Tokef is recited prior to the Kedusha prayer focusing on Divine Judgement.  There are four paragraphs to the Un’taneh Tokef.  This them of divine decree comes in part to a Talmudic Teaching:

“On Rosh Hashana, three books are opened [in Heaven] – one for the thoroughly wicked, one for the thoroughly righteous, and one for those in-between. The thoroughly righteous are immediately inscribed clearly in the Book of Life. The thoroughly wicked are immediately inscribed clearly in the Book of Death. The fate of those in-between is postponed from Rosh Hashana until Yom Kippur, at which time those who are deserving are then inscribed in the Book of Life, those who are undeserving are then inscribed in the Book of Death.” (T.B., Rosh Hashana 16b)

As a token of this belief, the common greeting on Rosh Hashana is Leshana tovah tikatev – “May you be inscribed for a good year.”

Leonard Cohen was inspired by this prayer to create a song “Who By Fire” after singing in front of Israeli Soldiers in the Frontier in the Yom Kippur War in 1973.

The lyrics to this power song reflect Leonard Cohen’s Feeling on this powerful Prayer:

“And who by fire, who by water, who in the sunshine, who in the night time,
who by high ordeal, who by common trial, who in your merry merry month of may,
who by very slow decay, and who shall I say is calling?

And who in her lonely slip, who by barbiturate, who in these realms of love, who by something blunt,
and who by avalanche, who by powder, who for his greed, who for his hunger,and who shall I say is calling?

And who by brave assent, who by accident, who in solitude, who in this mirror,
who by his lady’s command, who by his own hand, who in mortal chains, who in power,
and who shall I say is calling?”

As we hear the sound of the Shofar and the Prayers of the High Holy Days, let us remember to reflect, not only about the people we have been over the past year, but also on how we can be better people for the next year of 5777.  From my wife Kathy, and our Sons Nathan and Aaron we want to wish all of you Leshana Tovah Tikatev – “May we all be inscribed for a good year.”

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Creating a Minyan of Comfort

Attending a shiva call (comforting a Jewish mourner) is one of the most meaningful acts of condolence. In Judaism, we are taught that when a member of our community feels the pain of loss, we are obligated to be there to provide comfort and solace. Each shiva is different, depending on the traditions and beliefs of the mourning family and the nature of the loss. The primary purpose of entering the home of Shiva is to be a menachem avel (a comforter of the bereaved). This is a wonderful mitzvah for the person leading the service, and also gives the mourner the feeling of support and comfort.

It is for this reason a Minyan of Comfort program is being held in Dix Hills, NY. A joint project of the FJMC (Federation of Jewish Men’s Club) and the Cantors Assembly, the program is designed to provide volunteers with the needed ritual and social skills to lead a shiva service in a meaningful and comforting manner. The program addresses the different comfort levels of mourners, desired logistics to create the appropriate mood, and customs that take place at the conclusion of shiva.

I am currently teaching a program that involves attending five 1-hour classes. The course involves a discussion of customs, including students’ own experiences and understanding of the shiva experience. It is necessary to know Hebrew, as the students will be learning the prayer service. They also learn the difference between a shiva prayer service and a regular prayer service. In order to gain a better understanding of the prayers, students learn and chant nusach (proper motifs for the specific service) specifically written for the shiva minyan prayers.

I believe practice really helps in this class. It gives the student more confidence in their own ability to be a leader and to bring comfort to mourners in a meaningful way. To gain practical experience, all students are asked to stay after class for the evening prayer service so that they can practice their newly developed skills. At first they observe and listen, but the goal is by the end of the program that the student feels comfortable enough to lead. At the end of the course, the students receive a certificate of completion signed by both the president of the FJMC and the Cantors Assembly.

The program was first developed in Chicago. The idea was taken from the book “A Minyan of Comfort” by Sidney Greenburg, published in 1996. The program was piloted in the Midwest Region of the FJMC in November 2014 by the Men’s Club of Congregation Beth Shalom under the direction of Hazzan Steven Stoehr and the Men’s Club of Congregation Beth Judea under the direction of Hazzan Roger Weisberg.

I was first approached about the program by Rabbi Chuck Simon of the FJMC at a NY Region Meeting. After speaking with Rabbi Simon and current president Aaron Altman of the Dix Hills Jewish Center, I contacted Hazzan Steven Stoehr to find out more about the program and what was needed to implement it at the Dix Hills Jewish Center.

There are wonderful booklets provided for the program which are available at the FJMC Website called “Creating a Minyan of Comfort”. These booklets provide a step-by-step tool to aid the student towards the goal of becoming a lay shiva leader. At the Dix Hills Jewish Center both men and women take part in the class.

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Jewish Music, Jewish Prayer

Cantorial Art and the Changing Musical Landscape

This is from October of 2014 – it was on an out-dated blog so I am posting here.  Enjoy:

 

I have recently read a post on a Colleagues face book page and decided to think about the subject through the rest of the holidays. Many are bemoaning the end of the Cantorate, and I feel strongly that this is not the case. Part of the issues have to do with several factors, but the two biggest overall factors, at least in my opinion, are changing musical trends in the Synagogue and the Economy.

The Economy is simple – Synagogues in most cases are facing declining membership, as well as an aging membership who are now on a fixed income. They are also facing a situation where in the past, generations gave to their Synagogues and primarily Jewish concerns. Today this is not the case. People give to any given charity with which they have a connection. Also, with the Economic climate currently being what it is, people do not have the money to give in the same manner as their parents and grandparents.

When faced with the current Economy many Synagogues can, in most cases, afford only one member of the Clergy – and that is going to be a Rabbi. Many can argue the fact that a Cantor can do what a Rabbi does, but the Reality is – if a Cantor can do it then why not become a Rabbi? Many of our Colleagues have chosen this path and created a successful career for themselves.

Also – Cantors today need to do more than sing – as Synagogues are facing these financial issues it is a good idea that Cantorial students also obtain a degree and experience in a secondary skill that would be useful to our community, such as in Jewish Education. We are already expected to teach B’nai Mitzvah students and Adult Education classes, so why not have the credentials behind you. There are many Synagogues who look for a Cantor to also double his/her role as an Education Director. I myself have done this in the past. It was not easy, but not impossible. Some Cantors have a business background and with good organizational skills can work as the Executive Director and Cantor.

With the Economy there has been a rise in Soloists – or Cantorial Soloists. I myself started my career as a Soloist and Education Director until I made the decision that I wanted to study and become a fully Vested Hazzan through the Cantors Assembly – best decision of my life. However many Synagogues that can-not afford a second Clergy hire a soloist who is part-time and might tutor some B’Nai Mitzvah students for extra money. This also crosses over from the Economy to Musical Trends. Does this affect our occupation? Yes, because when a synagogue hires a soloist, they are making a statement that the Cantor’s knowledge is not important or relevant, just the singing of their tunes the way they have learned them is sufficient. And that is sad and such a loss for those synagogues that make that decision.

At one point in our history the Opera Style Cantors were a new thing – and I am sure that the Baal T’fillah all bemoaned the loss of the Cantorate as it was during that point in our history. However the new style grew, many of the past Cantors having success not only in the Synagogue, but also on the stage and through recording. Lines would form outside the Synagogue just to hear these amazing Hazzanim. The Italians had their Opera Stars? Well we had our Cantors!

Many call it the “Golden Age of the Cantor”. I feel personally this is a mistake – we should acknowledge that it was an amazing era for the Cantor and our position, but when you denote “Golden Age” you are almost acknowledging that it was the Pinnacle of our career and anything previous or future is a pale shadow of that age. I truly believe that the best is yet to come.

The musical landscape is always in a state of flux. One moment people like symphonies, the next Operas, then to Jazz, Broadway, Pop, Folk, Hip Hop, Rap, and now Electronic music. The styles are seemingly endless. One commenter on facebook mentions that the next thing we will be expected to do is beat box and rap. This is already being done, and I also have done it.

We as the Hazzanim – we as the Jewish Music Specialists, not only in our specific Congregations, but in the Jewish World, we need to learn to embrace those musical tastes and changes. Musically we need to be able to look in three directions:

  1. The past – Nusach – those amazing Cantorial pieces. There is a place for them, not only in concert but on our respective Bima during services. Not only do we keep the musical tradition alive, but we stay true to our roots, true to our past.
  2. Current trends – we need to listen to and be open to what is current. What are our Congregants – specifically the younger ones with families – what are they listening to? Is there a way that we can create and utilize those current musical trends and utilize them in some of our davening without being disrespectful to the T’fillot and to our communities?
  3. Future trends – How can we look or listen to future musical trends if they have not happened yet? We can see where the musical trends were in the past – where they are today – and we can somewhat forecast those musical tastes. Not easy, but possible. Many musical trends and tastes come back. I know that when our boys were younger, they and their friends were not listening to the music on the radios or what was “Pop” but instead were listening to Led Zeppelin; ELP; Billy Joel; and many others from the 1970’s era. And even the Beatles music is always classic and fresh in every generation.

To continue to be viable we need not only to be able to look in those three directions, but able to competently represent those styles in a worship service. How does one do this? I am only now personally working towards finding this out.

We need to be proactive in our chosen field not only for ourselves, but for the future Hazzanim. We each have the opportunity and responsibility to secure the role of the Hazzan in our synagogue so that the position will stay open and be filled by the next generation. We need to be proactive in engaging and continuing our education ourselves as professionals – presenting ourselves as not only “Singers” but as viable Clergy who work together with our Rabbis as a team in Pastoral duties, Funerals, Weddings, etc. We need to be a resource to our respective Congregants – not only on the music of our people, but on Judaism. We need to be the person whom a Congregant would feel comfortable with to just talk about a problem, or even to approach.

What I am writing about here is not new. This has been a growing issue within our communities for a few generations. It is good that we can discuss and challenge each other in this forum. Every day brings new experiences, new challenges, a new personal connection to a congregant. As a community we can support each other and learn from each other.

Let us join together, as colleagues, as friends, as Hazzanim – and bring the Cantorate to the 21st Century and beyond. So that in 500 years historians can look back at us and say we started the new Golden Age of the Cantor!

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Jewish Music

Jewish Music Introduction

The sounds and tones of music weave through Jewish life as a thread through a tapestry.  This tapestry is rich and vibrant, much like Joseph’s coat of many colors.  But instead of colors, we have tones and harmonies which can lift us up and raise our spiritual identity, helping to fill us with sweet sounds.  We only have to listen, and let ourselves be carried away by these sweet sounds.

Jewish Music has been around for over 3,000 years.  The most common and best known version of music is sung in the Synagogue by the Hazzan (Cantor).  This is the music of Prayer, the chant of the Torah and the Megilloth.  Jewish music of the Synagogue spans the evolution of Cantorial, Synagogal, and Temple melodies since Biblical times.

The earliest Synagogue music of which we have any account was based on the system used in the Temple in Jerusalem. The Mishnah gives several accounts of Temple music. According to the Mishnah, the regular Temple orchestra consisted of twelve instruments, and a choir of twelve male singers. The instruments included the kinnor (lyre), nevel (harp), shofar (ram’s horn), hozeirot (trumpet) and three varieties of pipe, the chalil, alamoth and the uggav.  The Temple orchestra also included a cymbal (tziltzal) made of copper. The Talmud also mentions use in the Temple of a pipe organ (magrepha). No provable examples of the music played at the Temple have survived.  Though there are vivid descriptions of the instruments utilized and the use of music.

After the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD and the subsequent dispersion of the Jews to Babylon and Persia, versions of the public singing of the Temple were continued in the new institution of the Synagogue. Three musical forms were identified by scholars of the period, involving different modes of antiphonal response between Hazzan congregation: the Hazzan singing a half-verse at a time, with the congregation making a constant refrain; the Hazzan singing a half-verse, with the congregation repeating exactly what he had sung; and the Hazzan and congregation singing alternate verses. All of these forms can be discerned in parts of the modern synagogue service.

The Prayers are musically broken up into different Modes, these are referred to as Nusach.  There are many different melodic forms of Nusach.  Nusach (Hebrew: נוסח‎ nosaħ, modern pronunciation nósakh or núsakh), plural nuschaot or nusachim, is a concept in Judaism that has two distinct meanings. One is the style of a prayer service (Nosach Teiman, Nusach Ashkenaz, Nusach Sefard or Nusach Ari); another is the melody of the service depending on when the service is being conducted.

These modes serve as a musical means to identify specific prayer services: Chol (Weekday) Shachrit; Minha; Ma’ariv.  Shabbat Services have different nuschaot – P’zukei D’zimrah; Shachirt; Torah Service; Musaf.  Also Minha for Shabbat has its own specific nusach.

There are three main modes. The three main modes are called Ahavah Rabbah, Magein Avot and Adoshem  Malach. Traditionally, the Hazzan improvises sung prayers within the designated mode, while following a general structure of how each prayer should sound. Over time many of these chants have been written down and standardized, yet the practice of improvisation still exists to this day.

The Ahavah Rabbah mode (also referred to as freygish) – is named after the blessing that immediately precedes the Sh’ma in the morning service.  Musically, Ahavah Rabbah is considered to be the most Jewish sounding of all the prayer modes, because of the interval of an augmented second, contained between its second and third scale degrees.

The Magein Avot (Shield of our Fathers) mode takes its name from a paragraph in the prayer of the same, which follows the Amidah in the Friday evening service. Musically, it most closely resembles a minor scale from the Western classical music. It is used in simple davening, or prayer chant, often by means of a single recitation tone, which the Hazzan utilizes to cover a large amount of liturgical text in a quickly-flowing style.

The Adoshem Malach (G-d Reigns) mode consists of a major scale with a lowered (minor) seventh and tenth. This mode has a majestic feel to it and is used for a number of services that require a grand atmosphere.

In modern times there has been an emergence of modern melodies composed by Contemporary Hazzanim and Jewish song writers that have made their way into the Synagogue service.  Writers like Debbie Friedman; Craig Taubman; Rick Recht; Hazzan Sol Zim; Hazzan Meir Finkelstein; Hazzan Avi Albrecht; and many others.  Most of the new melodies stay true to the Nusach melodic forms, while others go in a different musical direction.  This does not make those melodies wrong.  Instead these newer melodic forms (i.e.: Debbie Friedman’s MiSheberach) add a contemporary sound and style to Modern Synagogue Music.

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Prayer

Hashkiveinu הַֹשְכִּיבֵֽנוּ

In our Siddur there is a wonderful prayer during the Maariv service named: הַֹשְכִּיבֵֽנוּ (Hashkiveinu).  It is the second of the בְּרַכֹת (B’rachot) after the ֹשְמַע (Sh’ma). This prayer is a petition to be able to go to sleep in the evening and to return to life the next day.  During the age of the Talmud in Babylonia, people were frightened of the night.  Most lived in the countryside and it was very dark.  The הַֹשְכִּיבֵֽנוּ was added to the Maariv service to ask G-d for protection.

The הַֹשְכִּיבֵֽנוּ is only recited in the evening and is found after the מִי-כָמֹֽכָה (Mi-Chamochah) which is a prayer for redemption.  The הַֹשְכִּיבֵֽנוּ is also a prayer for redemption where we ask to be freed from danger.  “Guard our coming and our going; grant us life and peace, now and always.” (Siddur Sim Shalom pg 33).

Traditionally the הַֹשְכִּיבֵֽנוּ is first recited in the Synagogue during the Maariv service, then at home as a bedtime prayer.  As an extension to the מִי-כָמֹכָה, the הַֹשְכִּיבֵֽנוּ asks G-d for protection from the terror of the night.  During the time in Babylonia, when the הַֹשְכִּיבֵֽנוּ was initially composed, there was no electricity.  It might be hard for us in today’s modern world to understand the fear people felt living in the country where night was at time pitch dark.  During that time period there were many dangers present to people, not only real dangers like wild animals, wild storms, plague, and even other people, but also imagined dangers.

In this beautiful prayer we ask וּפְרוֹשֹ עָלֵינוּ סֻכַּת ֹשְלוֹמֶךָ (ufros aleinu sukat sh’lomecha) “Spread over us Your shelter of peace…” (Siddur Sim Shalom pg 285).  To be protected as we were protected in the 40 year sojourn of the desert.

Ismar Elbogen, the authoritative source on the subject of the history and origin of our liturgy, traces the source of Hashkiveinu to the Talmudic tractate of Brachot (4b) which outlines the cycle of daily and holiday prayer. Rav Amram, the 9th century sage who produced the first known Siddur has a text of הַֹשְכִּיבֵֽנוּ that is similar in structure to the one found in our prayer book today. Interestingly two possible endings can be found for this prayer; one closer to the Babylonian rite and the second closer to the ancient Palestinian. The framers of our liturgy solved this issu by utilizing the conclusion: ֹשוֹמֵר עַמּוּ יִשְֹרָאֵל לָעַד (shomeir amo Yisraeil la-ad) “Guardian of Your people Israel” (Siddur Sim Shalom pg 284) for weekday version of Hashkiveinu. On Shabbat and festivals the conclusion הַפּוֹרֵשֹ סֻכַּת ֹשָלוֹם עָלֵֽינוּ וְעַל כָּל-עַמּוֹ יִשְֹרָעֵל וְעַל יְרוֹּשָלָֽיִם (haporeis sukat shalom aleinu v’al kol amo Yisraeil v’al Y’rushalayim) “who spreads the shelter of peace over us, over all His people Israel, and over Jerusalem” (Siddur Sim Shalom pg 33).

The Talmud, as noted above, refers to the הַֹשְכִּיבֵֽנוּ as the Long Redemption. This connection to the prayer for redemption: גָּאַל יִשְֹרָאֵל (Ga-al Yisrael); “Redeemer of the people Israel” (Siddur Sim Shalom pg 32) is underscored by B.S. Jacobson in his definitive work on the daily prayer book. Jacobson cites a Midrash  (Rabbinic Parable) which relates that when the Children of Israel were instructed to remain indoors as the Angel of Death slew the first born of Egypt, they recited a prayer asking for a peaceful sleep, for protection from adversaries and for guidance in their comings and goings this became the precursor of our  הַֹשְכִּיבֵֽנוּ prayer.

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THE CLARION CALL OF THE SHOFAR

“Can you hear it? In the distance is that sound! The Clarion Call of the Shofar. During the Month of Elul the Shofar is sounded – calling us to prepare, to be ready.” – I am a child sitting at a desk in my Hebrew School and my Rabbi has enthralled us with these words – “Prepare. Be ready!” We became excited with thoughts of hearing the shofar sounding out across the classrooms, down the hall, through the sanctuary, out into the street, calling, calling, announcing to everyone that the New Year was upon us, Be Ready!

Though I can’t speak for my classmates – I know that the call of the Shofar resonated deep within me. I always felt an awakening, a sense that something important, something wonderful was approaching.

Even before starting Religious School I remember my father picking me up so that I could not only hear that Clarion Call but actually witness the Baal T’Kiah – the person honored with the blowing of the Shofar.

What is a shofar? A shofar is a musical instrument of ancient origin, made of a horn, traditionally that of a ram, and used for religious purposes. Like the modern bugle, the shofar lacks pitch-altering devices. The Baal T’Kiah uses facial muscles and how he or she holds their lips to the mouthpiece to make different sounds.

In order to master the different sounds, the Baal T’Kiah can change how they use air to create each shofar call. Each call is known as a T’Kiah, or blast. The four most well-known sounds we hear each and every Rosh Hashanah are the T’Kiah (one blast), Sh’varim (broken- 3 short blasts), T’ruah (alarm – rapid series of 9 or more short blasts), and the T’Kiah G’dolah (Great blast – a single unbroken blast held as long as possible).

The shofar sounds, like music, are meant to stir our heart and soul and help us to change our ways:

  • T’Kiah – a steady, clean sound asking you to search your heart and seek repentance
  • Sh’varim –a staccato or quivering sound indicating regret when one realizes their misdeeds and then desires to change
  • T’ruah – a wavelike sound of alarm that hearkens us to return to the mitzvot
  • T’Kiah G’dolah – the last blast entreating us to sincerely change for the better

So why did we blow the Shofar during every day (except for Shabbat) in the month of Elul? Elul is the time to prepare for the Yamim Nora’im. The T’Kiah sounds out to call the community to reflect on the past year individually and collectively. The Clarion Call of the Shofar was heard, usually after the Morning Minyan. This was done through the 28th of Elul, and on the 29th of Elul the day prior to Rosh Hashanah; we do not blow the Shofar. As the month of divine mercy and forgiveness, Elul is an opportunity for t’shuvah (“return” to G‑d), prayer, charity, and increased Ahavat Yisrael (love for a fellow Jew), in the quest for self-improvement and coming closer to G‑d. This is a time to search our hearts and draw closer to G-d in preparation for the Days of Awe. Through the Clarion call of the Shofar our hearts stir, our souls ache, and we begin the process of T’shuvah.

During the year we get lost in our daily lives. Our spirituality takes a back seat to everyday living. What started out as an opportunity to come back spiritually to G-d (T’shuvah) during the last High Holy Days becomes nothing more than a faintly remembered thought. The Clarion call of the Shofar during the Month of Elul awakens our spirit and reminds us to be prepared.

It is for this reason that we marked each weekday of Elul with the sounds of the shofar. It can be said that these series of blasts may emulate the sound of crying, our cry of tears over our past failures and shortcomings. And just as one can feel better after a cathartic cry, we can awaken ourselves to renew and reinvigorate our relationship with G-d.

During Rosh Hashanah we will hear 100 blasts of the shofar with its varying calls. Allow those calls to reverberate within you, feel the sounds stir your heart, allow the calls reach deep within your spirit and join us at DHJC as we begin the New Year of 5776.

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Setting Jewish Priorities in our Modern Age

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Our Minyan had a wonderful experience the other evening.  There was a family program in our Synagogue which ended just prior to our evening Minyan.  There were many families who attended this wonderful program.  As I was coming in to set up the Minyan room vehicles were leaving the Synagogue parking lot.  One family however came into the Minyan room.  They wanted to make sure that there would be a Minyan as the roads were once again covered in a little snow and ice.  This family has two children, one recently Bar Mitzvah and the younger still a couple of years away. 

 

What I found inspiring was the younger child asked why they had to stay, and the father noted that it was important to make sure that there would be a Minyan of 10 adults for those who need to say Mourner’s Kaddish.  They were already at the Synagogue, and instead of leaving like the other families, they felt it would be a priority to help make the Minyan. 

 

Today, families find themselves torn in different directions.  What once was a priority no longer is seen as important. When I grew up the Synagogue was an important part of my life.  Families made it a priority not only to belong to a Synagogue and train for Bar/Bat Mitzvah, but to be the center of their Jewish lives.  My Synagogue was a bustle of activity with young families abound, children in the halls, not just for Religious School or tutoring, but for youth events, for concerts, or even just to hang out with the Rabbi and the Cantor.  We wanted to be there.  Not because our generation was extremely religious, but because it was our Synagogue.  It was our second home, a place where we were comfortable. 

 

This comfortable feeling we had for our Synagogue, and our Clergy, was created by our parents who made it a priority to bring us to Religious School, to get us involved with youth groups, to secure in us, the next generation, a strong Jewish identity.  It does not mean that every one of us became Rabbis, Cantors, or Jewish leaders.  What it did was pass down to us, the next generation, those Jewish values which defined us as American Jews.  Though it must not have been easy for our parents to run us to these events at our Synagogue, they felt it important that those values, those traditions, that sense of Jewish self and confidence, be passed on to our generation, L’Dor Vador (Generation to generation). 

 

So what has happened?  Why have the Synagogues, and that strong sense of Judaism become less of a priority?  Where has the succeeding generations of parents failed and where has our movement failed?  These are questions that I am sure others have better answers, or maybe they do not. 

 

This family I speak about above is very much like my family.  Their Synagogue, their Jewish identity, their Jewish values are important, and they pass those values to their children.  They are not extremely religious however the Synagogue is a large part of their lives.  They encourage their older child to be active in the youth programming in the Synagogue, to be active in reading the Torah on Shabbat as part of the Synagogue’s Yad Squad.  They also encourage him to continue to lead services with me when there is no Bar/Bat Mitzvah being celebrated.  This is one family – and I can say that there are others in my Synagogue who share this value.

 

The Jewish identity of our children, of the future generation, starts at the home.  It is not just the responsibility of one parent, but both parents.  Parents should be living by example, making the Synagogue a center of their lives.  In today’s world, with the Internet making the world smaller, with other organizations out there vying for our support, our attention, our time, it makes it that much harder.  However for the next generation to have that connection with the Synagogue, that connection with their Jewish identity, families need to lead by example. 

 

Another issue is even more troubling.  Many Synagogues over the last decade have cut the time of Religious School.  When I was younger my Religious School was three afternoons a week, Shabbat attendance (Friday night and Saturday morning), and Sunday mornings.  However today, families find themselves torn in many different directions.  Instead of standing ground and having our children make the Synagogue the center, we split everything.  Today, if Synagogues do not adjust the amount of time and days that students need to attend Synagogue, families go somewhere else that gives less. 

 

The Synagogues, to keep membership happy, change their programs to fewer days, less attendance at Shabbat, and less learning.  Then when a child comes up for Bar/Bat Mitzvah and they struggle with the Hebrew, they struggle with the Judaic concepts, and the Synagogue gets the blame.  The troubling aspect in this goes with the fact that it was the families which insist on fewer days, less learning, less time, however they are expecting their children to be as knowledgeable as they were when they went three days a week, plus Sunday mornings, plus more Shabbat attendance.  Even in our technologically advanced society that can-not work.  It is a recipe for mediocrity. 

 

So how do we, as leaders in the Jewish Community, as parents raising our children in this modern age, how do we solve this dilemma?  Is there an easy fix?  Can we just go back to the old ways or should we look for more advanced ways to make the Synagogue, and L’Dor Vador, once again, the center of Jewish Life?  These are questions which we need to ask ourselves, not only as leaders of the Jewish Community, but as Jewish Parents. 

 

Generations from now, if we keep on this track, will the Synagogues only be Museums?  Places people attend on a school trip as an anachronism, a thing of the past.  Is that what we want for our children, and their children, and generations beyond?  Or do we want to pass down our wonderful rich heritage of a full and rich Jewish life which goes hand in hand with our modern, ever changing world? 

 

Make the Synagogue a priority, have your children, your grandchildren, get to know their Rabbi and Cantor.  Have them come to services and participate.  Have them attend their Religious School.  Go to Jewish Museums; take them on trips to Israel.  Celebrate the holidays as if they were each not only special, but life growing experiences for our children.  L’Dor Vador – keep the flame going, don’t let the light go out (as stated in Peter Yarrow’s wonderful song).  Not only as leaders, but as parents, let us work together to bring our wonderful culture, our values, our beliefs, to being number one in our lives.  Not only as something for our children, but for ourselves. 

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