Notes from Cantor Berman
Music without life is academic;
That is why my contact with music is a total embrace.
— Leonard Bernstein, Findings
Can you imagine life without melody, without song, without rhythm? Even if you struggled with piano lessons as a kid, or if some misguided choir teacher told you just to “mouth the words”, or if you can’t find value in what is on your kids’ iPods, doubtless you would find a world without music to be unimaginable. Just think— no nostalgic sounds on the radio, no campfire songs, no anthems at ballgames, no singing our ABCs, nothing to dance or tap our toes to. It would be Ira without George, Hammerstein without Rodgers, and we wouldn’t recognize names like Mozart, Bernstein, or Streisand. In synagogue life, there would be no myriad of tunes for Adon Olam, no melodies to help make our prayers soar the heights and penetrate the depths, and no cantillation to beautify our texts with expression and the sound of tradition. With only the spoken word, life would certainly be devoid of much of its fullness.
Music speaks to us and for us at a profound level that goes well beyond words. It can energize us, connect us across generations and cultures, take us to another time and place, make us remember, and help us to forget. It cannot be felt by the notes on a page; as The Lovin’ Spoonful sang, “I'll tell you about the magic… but it's like trying to tell a stranger about Rock & Roll.” Music must be experienced.
As we ease into the more relaxed mode of summer, I hope that your Jewish musical experiences will continue to broaden and deepen. Rabbi Wiederhorn and I look forward to seeing you— and singing with you— at services throughout the summer, be they in the sanctuary of TCS or at the sanctuary of the beach. If you would like to make a summer project of learning how to chant Torah, Haftarah, or Megillah, or would like this year to be the one in which you join our TCS Chorale or Shir Fun Youth Chorale, please be in contact. I also hope that you will mark your calendars for the array of Jewish music offered in the area— from choral to Klezmer, from world music to local artists:
Mosh Ben Ari, Y-Love
(Israeli rock, soul, reggae, world music) Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, July 1, 9:00 pm
Best Emerging Jewish Artists
Museum of Jewish Heritage, Manhattan, July 9, 7:00 pm
WISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY
A Klezmer Bash with The Klezical Tradition
Levitt Pavilion, Westport, July 10, 8:00 pm
The Gerard Edery Ensemble - A Treasury of Sephardic Song
Sullivan County Community College, Loch Sheldrake, New York, July 10, 7:00 pm
Challahpalooza Klezmer Music Festival
Lenox, Massachusetts, July 13, 7:00 pm
North American Jewish Choral Festival
(daily workshops, evening concerts) Hudson Valley Resort & Spa, Kerhonkson, New York, July 13 – 17
David Broza (acclaimed Israeli singer-songwriter)
Highline Ballroom, Manhattan, July 16
The Songs of Leonard Bernstein
92nd St Y, Manhattan, July 22, 8:00 pm
Summernights (great art exhibits and an annual concert series) Jewish Museum, Manhattan, Thursdays through July 24; concerts at 8:00 pm
Metropolitan Klezmer Ensemble
Sullivan County Community College, Loch Sheldrake, New York, July 24, 8:00 pm
The Afro-Semitic Experience (Jazz)
Museum at Eldridge Street, Manhattan, August 5, 8:00 pm
Brian Bender and Little Shop of Horas (Jewish/Klezmer blended with Latin, Caribbean, African and Middle Eastern rhythms) Pittsfield, Massachusetts, August 18, 7:30 pm
Israeli Dancing
Every Sunday at the Stamford JCC; Beginners: 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm; Intermediate/Advanced: 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Hoping you enjoy the rhythms of summer!
Cantor Laura Berman
By popular demand, Cantor Berman’s Rosh Hodesh
group will meet at 11:30 am on Friday, July 11. Weather permitting, we
will meet at the cannons at Compo Beach; in case of rain, we will meet
in the synagogue library. Please RSVP to
Cantor Berman (454-4673 x 231) and bring a dairy/vegetarian lunch.
There will be no meeting in August.
