Music - sholom.org · 1655 Sebastian Drive | Burlingame, CA 94010 sholom.org 650-697-2266
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V oices A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE from PENINSULA TEMPLE SHOLOM Music e heartbeat of PTS. fall 201 7 ח ״ סתיו תשע
Transcript of Music - sholom.org · 1655 Sebastian Drive | Burlingame, CA 94010 sholom.org 650-697-2266
VoicesA QUARTERLY MAGAZINE from PENINSULA TEMPLE SHOLOM
MusicThe heartbeat of PTS.
fall 2017 סתיו תשע״ח
CONTENTS
Your generosity strengthens our PTS community.
All donations are appreciated and welcome in various forms: cash, stock, matching funds, and legacy commitments.
Initial funds will be used to retire our mortgage — and we are almost there. Subsequent donations will secure the future of PTS.
For more information, please contact Betsy Rosen, Philanthropy Chair, [email protected] or (650) 315-2014, or
Karen Wisialowski, Chief Community Officer, [email protected] or (650) 697-2266.
Donations can be mailed to PTS or made securely on our website, sholom.org/give.
We invite you to honor Cantor Barry Reich and help secure the future of Peninsula Temple Sholom with your contribution to our new L’dor Vador Fund.
5 FROM THE CHIEF COMMUNITY OFFICER Karen Wisialowski
6 FROM THE PRESIDENT Lauren Schlezinger
7 WE ASKED FAVORITE MUSICIAN?
8 THE POWER OF MUSIC Rabbi Dan Feder
10 THOUGHTS ON MUSIC
11 MUSIC & EDUCATION Rabbi Molly Plotnik & Allison Steckley
12 COVER STORY Michael Battat
21 WHERE WORDS LEAVE OFF Nathaniel Bergson-Michelson & Heidi Schell
22 WE ASKED FAVORITE MUSIC?
24 LIFELONG LEARNING FALL 2017
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PENINSULA TEMPLE SHOLOM 1655 Sebastian Drive | Burlingame, CA 94010
sholom.org 650-697-2266
Board of Trustees, 2017–18Lauren Schlezinger
President [email protected]
Heidi Schell 1st Vice-President
Scott Haber 3rd Vice-President
Nathaniel Bergson-Michelson 2nd Vice-President
Adam Steinberger Treasurer
April Glatt Immediate Past President
Julie FeuchtwangJenna FisherJon Herstein
Marilyn HollingerWare Kuschner
Jeff LernerMatt Mandel
Andy OliffGene Podkaminer
Betsy RosenArlene RosenbergSharon Silverman
Yash SniderLois Fried
Sholom Women President
ClergyDaniel Feder
Rabbi [email protected]
Molly Plotnik Rabbi / Director of Education [email protected]
Lisa Delson Rabbi
Barry Reich Cantor
Gerald Raiskin ז״ל Founding Rabbi
StaffKaren Wisialowski
Chief Community Officer [email protected]
Allison Steckley Director of Early Childhood Education
Shari Carruthers Controller
Kim Gotthardt Preschool Administrative Assistant
Beverly Rochelle Membership Services
Cris Perry Clergy Executive Assistant
Daniel Bernstein Director of Youth Engagement
Mariano Sanchez Facilities Supervisor
Christina Myhre Education & Special Projects Assistant
Jason Salisbury Administrative & Database Assistant
Alan Zeichick Webmaster
Joshua Mason-Barkin, rje Voices Editor & Web Developer
e are delighted to bring you this first issue of Voices: A
Quarterly magazine from Peninsula Tem-ple Sholom. In each edition you’ll find articles from clergy, staff, lay leaders, and community experts on a partic-ular topic, serving as an opportunity to engage with import-ant ideas and issues with the depth and gravitas they deserve.
This issue focuses on music, including an article on synagogue music by Michael Battat with Cantor Barry Reich. Surely, there’s hardly a more appropriate way to begin this year of celebrating Cantor Barry than by also celebrating Jewish music.
In addition, you’ll find articles that explore the spirituality of Jewish music and about how music helps us us learn. In fact, Voices kicks off our “Year of Learning through Music” and we hope that you will join us throughout
the year. See inside pages for adult learning opportunities.
In our winter edition of Voices, we will explore tikkun olam. Future magazine themes will
include Jew-ish values, youth, sacred aging, and more. If you’d like to help us create one of those issues, or if there’s another topic you’d like to see explored in these pages, please let me know.
As a reminder, our Bulletin continues to be published monthly, and focuses on timely information, including events, worship services,
b’nai mitzvah, and relevant monthly listings. Our hope is that as a short publication, it is easily scanned by most congregants. And, congregants can continue to depend on the weekly Schmooze, Facebook, and sholom.org for up-to-date information on the many goings-on at PTS.
WELCOME TO A NEW FORUM FOR BIG IDEASKAREN WISIALOWSKI,
a long-time member and past president of Peninsula Temple Sholom, joined the staff in 2015 as the congregation’s first Chief Community Officer. She
is passionate about family, Jewish community, and social justice.
Karen is a former investment banker turned mom turned community volunteer turned Jewish community professional. Just prior to joining PTS, she served as Peninsula Region Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council.
Originally from Detroit, Karen came to San Francisco via the East Coast. She loves the outdoors, especially hiking and biking, and plays bridge as much as possible. Karen holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Karen and her husband Bill have two grown children.
In each edition you’ll find articles from clergy, staff, lay leaders, and community experts on a particular topic, serving as an opportunity to engage with important ideas and issues with the depth and gravitas they deserve.
My mom, Doris Haber, taught pre-school at our synagogue for decades. She taught scores of children all the Jewish prayers and songs, and even inspired
some to become pro-fessional Jewish song leaders. At every Jew-ish holiday, my home growing up was filled with song, which is a tradition we contin-ue to this day.
SCOTT HABERSecond Vice President
t age 45 my lifelong dream was being rolled into our living
room — a “new-to-us” console piano. Finally I would become the pianist I fantasized about for years. In my dreams, I channeled Mozart to create beautiful music. Effortlessly I played all my kids’ favorite songs by ear, and I accompanied family and friends in joyful sing-alongs.
Alas, as is true with any new endeavor, the reality of learning to play piano is much different. And while I always knew my study would require practice, technique, and learning music theory, I was surprised by the internal struggle that followed. Simply put, studying piano tests my character.
Recently, I learned about mid-dot, Jewish virtues said to be the foundation for a meaningful life. Immediately, I recognized the opportunity to pursue these virtues as part of my weekly practice of Mozart’s Piano Sonata № 15.
Learning the three movements is an epic test of patience (ַסְבָלנּות savlanut). There are days when my fingers feel like they belong to another brain’s body. Frustration percolates in my core like coffee brewing in the urn. That’s my chance to practice equanimity The .(menuchat ha’nefesh ְמנּוַחת ַהֶנֶפׁש)good news is that — after eight months — the sonata is sounding pretty darn good.
The harder news to accept is that kindergartners master it in a
fraction of the time. Acknowledging my achievement with modesty is an expression of humility .(avanah ֲעָנָוה)
Although some sessions at the piano are easier than
others, I always feel profound gratitude (ַהָכַרת ַהטֹוב hakarot ha’tov). I
am grateful to be fulfilling my lifelong dream and for a family who fills our home with beautiful music using our piano every day.
LAUREN SCHLEZINGER is the 33rd president of Peninsula Temple Sholom.
She coins herself ‘The Accidental President’ having joined PTS in
2006 as a preschool mom with no ambition of synagogue leadership.
Yet, as her twin daughters grew, so did her connection to the PTS community and the role she wanted to play.
Lauren grew up in Sudbury, Massachusetts in a lay-led Reform congregation. She started her journey west to attend Northwestern University, where she graduated with a BA with honors in economics. Lauren has worked as a consultant all her professional life, guiding organizations of all shapes and sizes in leadership, customer service, and employee benefits.
Lauren lives in Burlingame with her charming husband Eric, angelic teen age daughters Kyra and Lainey, and Merlin the Bedlington Terrier. In addition to tickling the ivories, she enjoys working out, yoga, and studying Spanish.
MY JOURNEY THROUGH
MOZART & MIDDOTI love both Dan Nichols and Elana Jagoda because their music, like folk, is so accessible. It sounds progressive yet sophisticated, like Dave Matthews or James Taylor. It is uplifting, catchy, and beautiful.
ALLISON STECKLEYDirector of Early Childhood Education
When Noah Aronson visited PTS, I was moved by his personal connection to the music. It was uplifting, fun, and fresh.
KAREN WISIALOWSKIChief Community Officer
WHO’S YOUR FAVORITE JEWISH MUSICIAN?We asked…
Debbie Friedman exuded such passion in her music. A prayer was not just a prayer when she sang it. She could get everyone in the congregation feeling her music. I can also hear her touch of jazz… just enough to soothe a troubled soul.
LOIS FRIEDPresident, Sholom Women
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RABBI DANIEL J. FEDER joined Peninsula Temple Sholom in 2006 as the second senior rabbi in the synagogue’s history.
Before coming to PTS, Rabbi Feder served Congregation
Keneseth Israel in Allentown, Pennsylvania for seven years. Prior, he was assistant and then associate rabbi at Temple Oheb Shalom in Baltimore.
Rabbi Feder was born and raised in San Francisco, and grew up attending Congregation Emanu-El. He earned a BA from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MA from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion. Rabbi Feder was ordained by HUC–JIR in 1994.
He and his wife Sandra have three daughters.
I felt this experience move me for the first time as an eighteen-year-old coun-selor at Camp Swig, where the Shabbat evening traditions enabled me to feel my religion’s power in a whole new way. As the whole camp made its way by procession to our prayer space, the sound of guitars playing Jewish music and the sight of the whole communi-ty dressed in Shabbat white made a deep impact, and that early feeling is replayed throughout the year for me at our synagogue and at Camp Newman as well. Music helps us to tap into a res-ervoir of deep feelings.
Musician Rick Recht, who will be visiting our shul during Sukkot, expressed it this way:
“Music is a powerful soul trigger and serves as the soundtrack of our Jewish lives. Our most transformative Jewish experiences are almost all soaked in Jewish music. Music also, quite literally, makes us feel good because, when we hear our favorite songs, our brains release chemicals such as dopamine. When we are younger and our brains are undergoing rapid neurological change, the music we listen to becomes wired into our brains along with the experiences that we’re having at the same time. This is how our identities are formed. This is also why when we’re sitting in our car with our kids many years later and our favorite Jewish music comes on from that decade, it takes us right back to these incredibly powerful memories.”
In The Power of Music: Pioneering in the New Science of Song, Elena Mannes ex-amines the scientific reasons why mu-sic is such a powerful force in our lives. We sense that music lifts us up, makes us feel better and moves us in profound ways, while opening us up to a wide array of feelings. New brain studies offer real proof that somehow, we are wired for music. For example, there are distinct brain areas activated for each of the three musical elements — time, pitch and volume. “It turns out that science today is showing that music is
in fact encoded in our bodies and brains,” the author explains. “The fact that music seems to trigger emotions in a way that noth-ing else does suggests to many scientists that it has an important place in the natural world and that it has something to do with the evolution of our species.”
It comes as no surprise that singing is referred to ten times in the Bible, each time a moment of emotional impor-tance. The tenth time, at the beginning of the twenty sixth chapter of the
prophet Isaiah, describes with longing and joy that the dreamed-of time of salvation will be a day in which “… this song shall be sung in the land of Judah.” For the biblical Israelites and for us, it is natural to express our joy, happiness, sadness and thanksgiving in song. It brings us closer to our inner feelings and can bring us closer to God as well.
This year will be an emotionally rich and momentous year at Temple Sho-lom, as we mark the final year of Cantor Barry’s career before he be-comes our cantor emeritus. We have a wonderful opportunity to experience the selfless, gracious and evocative way that our cantor leads us in liturgi-cal music. And we have the chance to thank him for five decades of spreading a love of Jewish music with us, his PTS family. Let us celebrate the way he creates community through music and let us allow his music — our music — to move us and our souls
And as we experience music through a year of lifelong learning, may we find the many powerful ways that Jewish music serves us as a way in, allowing us to open up to the rich ways of feeling Jewish connections, helping us to gracefully transition from one moment of our lives to the next, and to deepen the meaning of the experience.
To do so honors the evolutionary processes that have shaped both the human brain and our Jewish tradition.
Power
Music
few weeks ago, I spent a blessed sunny day in the
San Joaquin Delta waterski-ing. This is one of my favorite things to do, and I’ve been skiing with my family since I was a little boy. While slaloming on one ski, there is a crucial moment where the skier leans into the turn, coming closer and closer to the water, then the skier transitions across both wakes and then carves a smooth turn on the other side of the boat. There’s a natural rhythm that’s part of this chain of physical movements, and so I’ve always had certain songs that I sing as I ski. For me, the two are so closely connected that not only are the melo-dies the way into a turn, or the chorus the perfect transition out, but these songs — this music — deepens my connection to the experience.
Music is such an important way for us to experience life, and perhaps in no area is this more profoundly felt than in the sphere of religion. I feel it personally and I can see the impact on our community at Peninsula Temple Sholom when Cantor Barry Reich sings Hashkiveinu, for example, reassuring and plaintively asking God to envelop us in God’s canopy of peace. I sense it when the Cantor sings Eili Eili, the powerful poem by Hannah Senesh set to beautiful, melancholy music. And it’s interesting to consider that Mi She-beirach has existed hundreds of years, but it became regarded as a beloved and moving prayer when composer Debbie Friedman created an accessible and inspiring setting for it.
As composer Beth Schafer ex-pressed it to me:
“Music picks up where words leave off. It provides that lay-
er of emotion, of connecting in your kishkes, that even
the most profound poet can’t articulate. We
come from a tradition of chant — clearly
Judaism doesn’t just want us to heed its
words, but that we should feel them
as well.”
THE WAY IN
The
of
Debbie Friedman’s accessible and inspiring musical setting allowed
for generations of Jews to find meaning in a text from
our traditional liturgy.
Rabbi Daniel J. Feder
Music is a powerful soul trigger and serves as the soundtrack of our Jewish lives.
RICK RECHT
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e are both huge music fans. We enjoy playing and listen-
ing to music. In Allison’s home there is rarely a time when music isn’t being played in the background or someone isn’t playing a musical instrument. Whether we’re listening, dancing, or singing along, we both make a point of surrounding ourselves with music throughout our daily lives.
Singing, dancing, and music play an important role in our Jewish lives as well, both professionally and person-ally. Music is present in our schools, worship services, holidays, camps, and celebrations. Circle time is filled with dancing, musical instruments, and singing. As with most people, music is a part of our everyday experience.
Simply put, music provides us with joy.
Research has shown that children exposed to music in their early years speak more clearly and have larger vocabularies, and that music helps strengthen their social and emotional development. Music has the ability to strengthen the connection between the body and brain. For instance, when dancing and moving to music, children develop better motor skills. Music doesn’t just have the ability to put you in a good mood, it’s also brain food.
Music is not just about joy. It can also have a soothing effect on an upset child as it helps them to relax and change their mood for the better.
When children grow from toddlers to preschoolers and beyond, they develop their own musical tastes. The songs that they enjoy reflect this. Do they enjoy Raffi and Sesame Street or maybe popular music or even classical tunes? It’s easy to tell what they enjoy — most children will ask to hear the same song again and again (and again).
As educators, we hope to help our stu-dents develop strong Jewish identities from the moment they join our com-
munity. Jewish music is at the forefront of how we turn that hope into reality. From preschool Havdalah and Shabbat to Kesher song sessions,
our holiest moments are rooted in the spiritual experience that music provides.
This year we have a lot of talented Jewish artists visiting Peninsula Temple Sholom. We welcome back Isaac Zones as our Jewish music instructor for the preschool. Our new Director of Youth Engagement, Daniel Bernstein, brings his past experience as a head songleader at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple Camps. And this year, our adult learning program is focused on the theme of music, featuring courses related to music and lots of wonderful guests. We look forward to a year filled with joyous singing and melodies of comfort from our youngest to oldest learners here at PTS.
RABBI MOLLY PLOTNIK joined PTS in 2015 as Director of Education. She brings her love of music and passion for Jewish education to our community.
Rabbi Plotnik received her MA in Jewish education from the
Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion’s Rhea Hirsch School of Education and was ordained by HUC–JIR in Los Angeles in 2015.
While in rabbinical school, Rabbi Plotnik further pursued her interest in the intersection of Judaism and the environment by spending several summers working for Adamah Adventures, a Jewish outdoor adventure camp based out of Atlanta.
ALLISON STECKLEY’s 25 years of experience in education informs her belief that play enhances every aspect of children’s development and learning.
Allison has been with PTS for over 20 years, starting off as a teacher for the parent/toddler class, transitioning into teaching all age levels in the preschool, becoming Assistant Preschool Director in 2000 and Director in 2011. She has an educational background in psychology with an emphasis in early childhood and special education.
Allison was one of fifteen educators selected from across the country to participate in the Jewish Childhood Education Leadership Institute (JECELI). She is also a long-term member of the prestigious National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
REFLECTIONS ON
MUSIC&EDUCATION
Simply put, music provides us with joy.
Singing is breath that is larger than yourself, so it joins you with space, with community, with other realms and our deepest inside
places. You are joining your strand to everyone else’s, weaving something with the whole, and this extends the community
outward into a force bigger than itself.
Anne Lamott, Hallelujah Anyway
PRAYER BEGINS WHERE OUR POWER ENDS.Abraham Joshua Heschel
When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I
see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest.
Henry David Thoreau
At my core, one of my defining beliefs is that while every individual has a gift and something to give the world, we can do the most when we are in community, when we are working together. I think music helps give people the sense that there is a ‘together,’ there is a oneness that can then propel us individually. It takes a communal interaction, a sense of belonging, a sense of cooperation, that gives individuals the strength and courage to go out in the world and do what they need to do.
Cantor Rosalie Boxt
Music Thoughts on
COMPILED BY RABBI DAN FEDER
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Each of us has our own personal relationship to music. Music can connect us to the past and to people and places. Music can help us be in the moment. Music can move us and lift us up – transcend-ing the moment to our highest aspira-tions. Sometimes we learn with music. And sometimes we move to music.
Since Cantor Barry announced his upcoming retirement, our congregation has begun to meet to articulate a vision for music at Peninsula Temple Sholom. This vision will be informed by numerous conversations, visits to other congregations, and our experience over the past couple of years with guest
soloists Emily Pelc and Angela Gold and periodic musicians in residence, such as Dan Nichols and Nefesh Mountain. Led by Adam Steinberger, the Music Vision Task Force will soon be sharing ideas about the future of music at PTS that will inform the work of the committee who will begin a search for a cantor to step into in Cantor Barry’s enormous shoes.
Ac-cord-ing to Cantor Barry, “Jewish music has changed a lot in the last fifty
“I look at music like breathing,” says Cantor Barry Reich. “And Jewish music is the sound of our people.”
Cantor Barry loves to talk about how certain melodies transport him back in time, to his childhood, to memories of his father, and to memories from PTS long ago. Do certain melodies also remind you about time spent with loved ones or certain places or activities in your life?
MusicTHE SOUND OF OUR PEOPLE.
THE HEARTBEAT OF PTS.
by
Michael Battat
COVER STORY
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years. It has evolved because Jewish people have changed the way they pray, the way they sing,
and the way they dance.” As the congregation embarks on the future,
let’s take some time to remember how we have come to this place by exploring Jewish music from biblical times to the present. While the style of music has changed, the impact on prayer, com-munity, and life remains the same.
Biblical & Historical ReferencesThe history of Jewish music ties directly to the history of the Jewish people, and includes both religious and non-religious music. According to Curt Sachs, quoted in Encyclopedia Judaica from his opening lecture to the First International Congress of Jewish Mu-sic in Paris 1957, “Jewish music is that music which is made by Jews, for Jews, as Jews.”
References to music are found in the Torah and subsequent writings. The first reference to musical instruments occurs in the story of Cain and Abel, where Yuval, the great, great, great, great, grandson of Cain is identified as the progenitor of families who play the kinnor (lute) and ugav (pipe). During the Exodus, the Israelites burst into song after escaping Pharaoh’s army through the miracle of the Sea of Reeds, which includes words from Exodus 15:2 — ָעִזי ְוִזְמָרת ָיּה ַוְיִהי־ִלי ִליׁשּוָעה
Ozi v’zimrat Yah, v’yhi li lishua — “God is my strength and defense, God has become my salvation.” Many Jews read the full text in their daily shacharit (morning) blessings. Several other songs to God appear in Numbers and Deuteronomy, but with no mention of musical instruments used in rituals to praise God.
The Psalms, attributed to King David, are described as songs. They include references to the use of instruments, especially in Psalm 150, which instructs the reader to praise God with lute, lyre, horn, drums, timbrel, dance, strings, and cymbals. Over time, music became more prevalent. Writings in the time of King David and King Solomon refer to Levitical singers and musicians. Excavations from the period of the Temples have uncovered cymbals and other instruments used in Temple rit-uals. During the Babylonian exile, the songs turned into lamentations of the Israelites for their homeland.
The rabbis who became the de-facto Jewish leadership following the de-struction of the Second Temple mourn-ed its loss and the devastation laid on the Israelites by the Romans. Mourn-ing over the Temple and the loss of its rituals led the rabbis to decree that no musical instruments be played as part of Jewish religious ritual. That decree has stayed in place among traditionally observant Jews to this day.
Vocal musical innovations began as public reading of the Torah became the centerpiece of Jewish life. Congregation-al chants — unison, responsive, and progressive — became the standard form of public worship. Specific chants for Torah began with hand signals and led to the creation of ta’amei ha-mikra, instructional symbols (a sort of musical notation) for chanting from Biblical text. Eventually, the need to have a skilled vocalist to lead worship led to the creation of the role of chazzan.
The role of chazzan, or cantor, became one of maintaining chant melodies, or nusach. Each of the three daily prayers (ma’ariv, shacharit, and mincha) had its own unique melodies to distinguish one from another. Also, nusach would change subtly during holidays, and change significantly for the Days of Awe (between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur). Each community prayed in its own slightly-varied melodies that the cantor maintained. Cantors, through prayer and education, taught youngsters. Those who showed apti-tude might eventually become the next chazzan for that community, or would strike out to look for a role with a near-by community.
Modes of chant developed to engage the congregation, including individual singing by the cantor, unison singing by the congregation and the cantor, and call-and-response melodies. Some examples of these are Kol Nidre sung by the cantor, Avot v’Imahot chanted by the cantor and congregation, and the Chatzi Kaddish and Bar’chu chanted as call-and-response.
Across the Jewish world, where indi-vidual communities were often isolated from one another, traditions of chant grew up in localized and regional-ized Jewish population centers that changed relatively infrequently from the first through the 17th centuries. Occasionally, melodies and modes of prayer would move among communi-ties with practitioners who would travel among regions, but change was the exception, rather than the rule.
A number of differences in music tradi-
tion remain between Ashkenazic and Oriental Jews. If you want to get a taste of these variations in musical back-ground, join the Sephardic Minyan at Peninsula Temple Sholom on Shabbat morning. Their music reflects influence from Morocco to Iraq and places in between.
Responding to ModernityEnlightenment in Europe changed everything for Jews. Where they had previously been segregated in Europe, and given limited roles in Muslim-con-trolled lands, the Age of Enlighten-ment opened up Jewish access to the greater cultures of Europe. The Jewish response to modernity was, and is, a continuum of responses, ranging from isolation to assimilation.
In Germany, Jews who wished to enter modern society and retain their identities as Jews chose to rethink practice and ritual in a Jewish ref-ormation — the birth of the Reform movement. Jewish practice in Reform took as its model of music the German practices of the time: choral music with organ. The cantor would hold the lead-ership role in initiating prayers, with the choir singing along with, or in the place of, the congregation. The cantor would continue to maintain nusach for the congregation, and composers for the Reform world created choral music to augment the prayer service.
The Reform mode of choral music with organ followed Jews from Germany to the United States. Each major Reform congregation that was started prior to the 1980s has (or had) a choir loft and organ as an integral part of its design. In San Francisco, Reform congregations Sherith Israel and Emanu-El have both organs and choir lofts as prominent parts of their sanctuaries.
Another response to modernity, the Conservative movement, started in
MICHAEL BATTAT is a long-time PTS congregant, married to Susan Battat and father of Hannah. He has a deep commitment to Jewish music, especially at PTS.
Michael has trained at national songleading retreats with other songleaders from other Reform congregations. Over the years, he has helped lead Cantor Barry’s Zimriyah youth choir, taught religious school, and led Shabbat worship services. Today, Michael meets regularly with other PTS musicians to jam and play together in a casual setting.
Congregation Sherith Israel acquired their historic Murray M.
Harris Co. pipe organ in 1904.
Cantillation marks (ta’amei ha-mikra) printed above and below Biblical text guide chanting during public worship. Here, the cantillation marks for Psalm 150:3 are visible in blue.
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the United States. Conservative Jews reserved the right to re-interpret prac-tice and mitzvot, but retained much of the ritual and practice of traditional communities, including chants and melodies. Until recently, Conservative congregations also abstained from use of musical instruments in prayer – cer-tainly on Shabbat, but also for religious ceremonies.
Camp, Guitar, and IsraelThe 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s saw the growth of the Jewish camping move-ment. At the same time, folk music began a resurgence across the United States. Woody Guthrie, The Weavers,
Pete Seeger, and others had radio programs and shared music that was popular both regionally and nationally. For children who attended sum-mer camp across the country, these new folk songs became part of the repertoire of songs that were sung around campfires and at other camp activities.
Jewish summer camps were run by a number of institu-
tions, including JCCs, religious move-ments including Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC, the forerunner of today’s Union for Reform Judaism), and independent community
camps (like Camp Tawon-ga). Each developed its own music traditions. Some camps had few songs of Jewish content, while others developed a strong focus on music. Camps affiliated with UAHC, like Goldman Union Camp Institute in Zionsville, Indiana and Camp Swig in Saratoga, California, created music for religious settings and for camp spirit.
The UAHC National Federation of Tem-ple Youth responded to this burst of camp music by collecting and distribut-ing it. Early on, NFTY published seven records, starting with Michael Isaac-son’s Shabbat music. Other recording artists included Kol B’seder (Rabbi Dan Freelander and Cantor Jeff Klepper),
and Debbie Friedman. Each of their works were featured prominently on NFTY albums.
The language of guitar and voice made its way from popular music and summer camp into Reform synagogue settings. A number of the songs includ-ed civil rights and freedom songs that aligned with the values of Reform syn-agogues, which were active in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Many credit Cantor William Sharlin as the first invested cantor to strap on a guitar in a sanctuary. The practice of adding guitar to worship spread across the United States throughout the decade as an addition and alternative to the choir and organ of Reform practice.
In addition to camp music, others in the Jewish community and in Israel began to fuse liturgical text with guitar-based melodies. In the United States and Israel, Reb Shlomo Carlebach became popular for his merging of text with singable, meaningful melodies. The birth of the State of Israel brought forth new songwriters who took both liturgical text and Jewish experience and combined them into popular Hebrew songs. The Oseh Shalom melody that is sung at PTS at the end of the Mourner’s Kaddish and at other places in a service is from this era; it was written in 1969 by Nurit Hirsh for the inaugural Hassidic Song Festival (the song placed third that year). The Reform community also worked to fuse Israeli melodies in Hebrew into religious services – as a reminder of the commitment and connection between Jews in prayer here and Jews in Israel.
The Reform movement’s shift away from choir and organ to guitar and con-gregational singing now firmly informs the style of music in congregations across the country. This change is not unique to the Reform Jewish commu-nity. Churches too have shifted their style of music to respond to the chang-ing preferences of congregants. At a recent 9th-grade PTS religious school class trip to First Presbyterian Church in Burlingame, PTS students experi-enced a service led by the pastor and Praise Band, which included singers,
electric guitar, bass, piano, and drums. This was one of three services offered by the church that morning. The other two had music provided by their choir, dressed in matching robes, and backed by their in-sanctuary organ.
Reframing Music Experience in Religious SettingsMusical innovation did not stop with Shlomo Carlebach and Nurit Hirsh. Every year, new music is created by Jews as expressions of text that can be applied in religious settings. Craig Taubman, Doug Cotler, Ramie Ari-an, Doug Mishkin, Julie Silver, Beth Schafer, Stacey Beyer, Naomi Less, Peri Smilow, Rabbi Shefa Gold, Hannah Tiferet Siegel, Sam Glaser, Gordon Lustig, Rick Recht, Elana Jagoda, Dan Nichols, Josh Nelson, Noam Katz, Saul Kaye, and Noah Aronson are just some of the amazingly talented songwriters who are creating new music that adds to Jewish religious experience. Many of these musicians have visited PTS in recent years sharing their musical inspiration with the PTS community. Israelis such as Tzvika Pik, Yonatan Razel, Moshav Band, and the song-writers of Nava Tehila also provide new melodies for religious settings. In addition, congregations have adapted secular melodies to particular religious settings, such as Bob Marley’s “Re-demption Song.”
In attempting to frame the use of music in the religious experi-
ence, Cantor Benjie Ellen Schiller wrote an essay in 2007 that identified five uses for music in prayer settings. Cantor Ro-salie Boxt, who will be the scholar-in-resi-dence at PTS’ con-gregational retreat in January 2018, shared a similar framework at the URJ’s Hava Nashira songlead-ing retreat in 2010. She identified four primary types of music:
== Music of Majesty transcends the spirit of the congregation from this world to a higher aspirational plane approaching the divine. In Reform Jewish history, often this kind of music was sung with the cantor, choir, and organ, in a melody that the congregation did not sing.
== Music of Memory connects members of the congregation with past experiences that reflect emo-tion, aspiration, intention and/or connection. For “classical” Reform Jews, this is likely music sung in unison with the cantor and organ. For those who grew up with more participatory synagogue music, this can be music sung at camp or in youth settings with guitar.
== Music of the
Cantor William Sharlin, 1920-2012, served Leo Baeck
Temple in Los Angeles and taught at HUC–JIR.
Shlomo Carlebach, 1925-1994
abOVE: Julie Silver performs at PTS in 2012. (Photo courtesy Habib Lichaa.)
bElOw: (clockwise from top left) Rick Recht, Noam Katz, Elana Jagoda, Dan Nichols,
Saul Kaye, Craig Taubman (Photos by Josh Mason-Barkin.)
18 VOICES fall 2017 סתיו תשע״ח
Moment helps the congregation be present with the intention of a given prayer or moment of the service. In many cases, this is either instrumental music backing spoken text, music in a period of silence, or music with lyrics intended to create an emotional connection for each worshipper.
== Music of the Community intends to engage congregants in building connection and common interest using a range of singing techniques, including unison singing, call and response, rounds, and other interactive communi-ty-connecting techniques.
Using these four types of music as templates, the clergy can begin to think about how to weave music into a service in a meaningful way.
Music of Majesty For those who wish to create majestic music, orchestra, organ, choral, and solo voice all provide the potential of majesty. By definition, majestic music transcends earthly bounds, and is therefore not a setting sung by congregation in unison. Many of the settings for prayers for the Days of
Awe are majestic, requiring a strong, trained voice to symbolize reaching directly to God. Note the difference between these settings and the settings for congrega-tional unison singing around admissions of weakness, con-fessions of sin, and asking for God’s pardon – all of which are written and sung with the congregational voice. Some examples of Music of
Majesty in more contemporary settings include Danny Maseng’s Elohai N’tzor and Leon Sher’s Heal Us Now.
Music of MemoryThis music varies from age to age, as the musical experience takes individ-uals back to specific periods. At Penin-sula Temple Sholom, some people will have nusach and Orthodox or Conserva-tive prayer as core memory. For others, it’s organ and choir. For others, it’s Deb-
bie Friedman and Jeff Klepper. For oth-ers still, it’s the latest Noah Aronson, Dan Nichols, and Hillel Tiguy melodies from this past year at summer camp. In addition to recalling time and place, music helps people recall other people with whom they were connected.
Music of the MomentJust as choral and orchestral work can help find majesty, instrumental and contemplative music can help define the moment. At Kol Nidre services, solo cello, flute, or organ, have been used to fill the time of contemplation between spoken prayers to help provide inspiration to worshippers considering the past year. Lyrics of both secular and Jewish songs can help connect the congregation to concepts of redemp-tion, thanksgiving, freedom, and praise that reflect the kavanah (intention) of the moment.
Music of the CommunityCommunity music is intended to bring communities together. In his book, “Building Singing Communities,” Joey Weisenberg describes music as a fundamental connection among congregations. He focusses on niggun-im — wordless melodies that are sung by congregations — as well as new nu-sach. In his treatise, Weisenberg recom-mends relinquishing fixed forward-fac-ing pews, audio amplification, and the raised bimah for a congregational experience where singing happens in the center of the room and radiates outward. This structure encourages lis-tening, intentionality, expertise in the content, opportunities to harmonize, and innovation. Listening, intentional-ity, and expertise in content are also at the core of community prayer.
While most congregations might see Weisenberg’s vision as a radical step, this idea of building a singing core is key to Music of the Community. Unlike other types of music, it requires con-gregational knowledge and ownership. When a setting is designed to be Music of the Community, parts or all of the music — especially the “hook” — be-long to the congregation. Over time, the congregation will expect the specif-ic niggun, response to a call, or chorus
to be theirs. An example is the “Amen” at the end of the Zweibeck/Chasen/Brodsky/Jonas Hashkiveinu–Shelter Us sung at summer camps and many congregations. The amen verse can last two or three rounds, depending on the energy in the room, and the congrega-tion’s expectations.
A Service of Majesty, Memory, Moment, and CommunityEach of these elements (Majesty, Mem-ory, Moment and Community) can be used in different proportions to create a musical environment that aligns with the kavanah of both a given prayer and a given service. A service about the Exodus from Egypt might include a song of majesty about salvation, a civil rights song of memory, melodies of spirituals to connect moments of contemplation, and introductions of songs that reflect text and redemption that can be sung by the community. These four types of music are woven together to create a complete worship experience.
Other Jewish MusicA range of Jewish music exists beyond religious settings. Some has been writ-ten for educational use in preschools and religious schools. Educational songs can teach values, introduce historical figures, or highlight specific texts, as a fun way to connect Jewish youth to their Jewish
identity. In some congregations, Israeli songs are tools to helping children and adults learn Hebrew.
Some Jewish music has artistic in-tent and may be appropriate in the sanctuary – but often just for Jewish cultural value. For example, while there are many songs from the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” that contain Jewish perspectives and values, only one (‘Sab-bath Prayer’) has been adopted by synagogues for use from time to time. Similarly, Barbra Streisand’s music from “Yentl” includes both powerful Jewish ideas as well as struggles with those ideas.
And, some Jewish music has a commu-nal and cultural intent. Klezmer, Israeli pop music, and Jewish Rock are just some examples of Jewish music that is made by Jews for Jews and for con-sumption in a Jewish setting. In some cases, the relevant consumption points are Jewish summer camps, where past, present, and future can collide to reinvigorate old ideas, innovate in new ways, and reflect the times as perceived by our youth.
We also find ways to borrow from secu-lar and Chris-
Danny Maseng
tian melodies at camp. At PTS, one melody we sing for “Pitchu Li” is based
on a Randy Scruggs melody called “Sanctuary” (“O, Lord, prepare me / To be a sanctu-ary”). That song was popular and sung just on its own by campers and counselors in the 1980s at the Goldman Union Camp Institute. When the staff at camp raised ob-jections to a country/Chris-tian melody being sung at camp, the counselors added
the “Pitchu Li” text. (Other Jewish mu-sicians have incorporated “Sanctuary” with Mah Tovu.) Another Christian rock
melody that has made its way into Jewish settings is “Love the Lord” by Lincoln Brew-ster, whose text is Deuter-onomy 6:5 (V’ahavta): “Love the Lord your God / With all your heart, with all your soul / With all your might, with all your strength.”
Where Do We Go from Here?
Throughout time, music has remained core to the Jewish experience. Yet, the changes of the past 50 years and the explosive growth of new Jewish music challenge the conventions of nusach that have dominated nearly 2,000 years of Jewish experience. How do congre-gations find a way to connect with the past that honors the past while explor-ing new music that allows the creation of new connections and new interpre-tations?
Cantor Ellen Dreskin, a congregational cantor, faculty member at the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, and educator of Jewish music
across North America, how she does this in her congregation. She describes the need to cultivate the Jewish value of hachnasat orchim (welcoming the strangers) to communities.
There is also the need for cantors, soloists, and songleaders to help build expertise and familiarity in ways that are respectful to the congregation. In-troducing a melody that a congregation has never heard to a prayer setting may require a story for a setting of Majesty, or it may require a lead-in for a setting of Moment. For Community music, which the congregation is expected to sing, it is important to introduce the melody and lyrics in such a way that the congregation can grasp what they must own.
One of the core values of PTS is embracing change, and this includes welcoming and nurturing of new styles of music as we venture into the future. We may, as a congregation, choose to be open to trying new approaches to t’filah from time to time. We may, as a congregation, want to let our kids become our teachers from time to time, inspiring us with their energy and en-thusiasm. And we may, as individuals, ask ourselves what we need from music this week: majesty, memory, moments, or connection. And, we can think about others in our midst, and the answers they might offer to the same questions. Our awareness of our own needs and the needs of others can help shape our response to musical settings and help us build connection with our fellow congregants and worshippers. And, ultimately, as Cantor Barry reminds us, regardless of the style, all Jewish music is as at the core of our Jewish soul.
Peninsula Temple Sholom’s inaugural magazine, focusing on music at PTS, would not be complete
without acknowledging Cantor Barry Reich’s 50th and final year as PTS’ cantor before he transitions to
the position of Cantor Emeritus on July 1, 2018.
Words cannot begin to express how blessed our community has been
to have Cantor Barry’s warmth, wisdom, pas-
sion, and musical soul for the last five decades.
He has touched the lives and uplifted the hearts of
countless congregants, fam-ilies, and b’nai mitzvah students with his music, singing,
teaching, and kindness. Under his leadership, the musical experience at PTS has continued to evolve and to reflect new
artists and influences from across the Jewish world. In his emeritus role, Cantor Barry will still — and always — be a part
of our community, and as his community we are excited that he will be able to fulfill his dream of devoting well-deserved time to
long-cherished projects and to his family.
Because words fall short of all that the Cantor means to us, we are looking forward to honoring him with music in a Celebration
Weekend open to the extended PTS community at the start of June, with a special Shabbat service on June 1 and a concert on
June 3.
This is a significant time of transition for our community. Embracing change is one of our congregation’s core values; we honor the living
legacy that is passed on to us by continuing to evolve and grow. PTS is committed to joyfully celebrating with Cantor Barry, to finding and
welcoming a new cantor when the time comes, and (in the meantime) to taking this opportunity to reflect on the musical experiences that we
as a congregation want in the future. We are approaching each of these challenges as thoughtfully as we know how.
Please watch upcoming synagogue communications for details about the work of the Transition Steering Committee and the Music Vision Task
Force, Cantorial Search Committee, Celebration Weekend and Gala Fundraiser Task Forces. We will be reporting throughout the year on the
progress of each and how you can be a part of this important transition.
Where words leave off, music begins.
HEINRICH HEINE
WHERE WORDS
LEAVE OFFEVENTS HONORING
CANTOR BARRY REICH
MARK YOUR CALENDARMay 5 Gala Fundraiser honoring Cantor Barry
June 1–3 Celebration Weekend open to all, with a Community Shabbat Service honoring Cantor Barry (June 1) and Celebration Concert (June 3)
— Nathaniel Bergson-Michelson and Heidi Schell
Randy Scruggs
Lincoln Brewster
We look forward to welcoming Rick Recht, Cantor Rosalie
Boxt, and Nefesh Mountain as guest musicians at PTS in 2017-18.
A Year of Music
fall 2017 סתיו תשע״ח VOICES 23
We asked…
It changes on any given day, but right now I’d choose Dan Nichols’ version of the prayer Asher Yatzar. It's from his album titled “Beautiful & Broken,” which sums it all up. It’s about seeing our imperfections as part of what make us beautiful and whole, and thanking God for allowing us to live in this world, beautifully imperfect.
RABBI MOLLY PLOTNIKDirector of Education
I love Bonia Shur’s Hallel. While this setting of the Hallel (Psalms 113-118, chanted on Sukkot, Passover, and Shavuot) is not something I listen to every day, this piece of music transports me back to my days at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati. Each spring, composer Bonia Shur gathered a group of students to sing his choral piece and perform it for the rest of the community. Throughout the 20-minute performance, a variety of musical instruments and individual voices come together in prayer. Listening, I felt spiritually connected to Hallel’s praise for God. Whenever I hear a recording, I can feel myself transported back to the chapel at the seminary.
RABBI LISA DELSON
My favorite piece of Jewish music is “If I Were A Rich Man,” from Fiddler on the Roof.
The song, performed by Tevye, speaks about the plight of impoverished shtetl Jews. Even though it’s catchy and kind of fun, it’s written in a minor key,
usually used to evoke a somber feeling.
DANIEL BERNSTEINDirector of Youth Engagement
Mine is “Haneshama Lach” by Shlomo Carlebach.
It’s a liturgical piece from the High Holy Days, which says, “The soul is Yours, and the body is Your hand-
iwork , have mercy on the fruit of Your labors.” It takes me back to my childhood.
CANTOR BARRY REICH
You have to hear “Lev B’lev” by Beth Schafer.
She sings beautifully about how we look for God by looking above, but that really, the power of God is found through human relationships, through the heart, the words, and the human touch of the people who impact our lives most deeply.
I love the depth of Beth’s lyrics and the complexity of her music. The themes she writes about are varied, spiritually moving, and uplifting.
RABBI DAN FEDER
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF JEWISH MUSIC?
One of my favorite pieces of Jewish music is the Hashkiveinu prayer. It spoke to me the very first time I heard it sung at services. I sing it with my daughter at bedtime, continuing Camp Newman’s
nightly ritual which she loved.
HEIDI SCHELLFirst Vice-President
Dan Nichols teaches at pts retreat
Camp Newman, 2016
In addition to our special opportunities for learning through music, we continue to offer our regular programs for learning together.
EZRA-NEHEMIAH=e Thursdays, November 2, 2017 - February 8, 2018=Ɣ 1:00 – 2:00pm
Led by Rabbi Dan FederThe Book of Ezra (also known as Ezra–Nehemiah)
tells the story of the group who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. It’s both a chronological and spiritual history of that generation, and a retelling of their (perhaps still relevant) struggle with Jewish communal identity and understanding Torah as a set of laws for governing society. We’ll pick up where
we left off last spring with the end of Ezra and continue through Nehemiah.
WISE AGING=e Mondays, beginning October 30=Ɣ 11:00am – 1:00pm
NEW “WISE AGING” CLASS THIS FALL!
A full life is not just filled with constant doing. Wise aging is an opportunity for each of us to integrate our life experiences as we journey toward wisdom and self-acceptance, a journey we take together. This class is based on resources by Rabbi Rachel Cowan and Dr. Linda Thal, primarily their book Wise Aging: Living with Joy, Resilience, and Spirit. Learning modes include text study, active listening, mindfulness meditation, exercises, reflection, and journaling — all experiences that help us acquire skills for making changes that will lead to a deeper sense of well-being.
Pre-registration and purchase of Wise Aging book required. Contact Linda Korth for more information and calendar of dates that class will meet ([email protected]).
TORAH TODAY=e Saturdays=Ɣ 9:00 – 10:00am
Start your Shabbat morning with your rabbis and a discussion-based study of the week’s portion. Be ready to engage in lively dialogue and debate as we invoke commentaries both traditional and current and seek anchors in the Torah for our modern, mobile lives.
Come every week or drop by when you can.
MORNING TALMUD STUDY=e Wednesdays=Ɣ 8:15 – 9:15am
=¨ Il Piccolo Caffé, 1219 Broadway Ave., Burlingame
Led by Rabbi Molly PlotnikUsing the new Koren Talmud with an accessible translation, interesting commentary and fun illustrations, we’ll delve into the world of Talmud together. No Talmud experience necessary — this class is for everyone as we study rabbinic thoughts on spirituality, dreams, prayer, and more.
Come every week or drop by when you can.
BACK TO THE SOURCE=e Wednesdays, starting October 18 =Ɣ 11:00am – 12:00pm
Led by Rabbi Dan FederA thoughtful, verse-by-verse examination of the context behind Torah teachings with Rabbi Feder. In small-group discussion we find real connections with the text, and with each other.
Come every week or drop by when you can.
HOT TOPICS LUNCH GROUP=e Thursdays October 26, November 16, December 21, January 25, February 22, March 15, April 26, May 17=Ɣ 12:00pm
=¨ Law Offices of Norman Harris, 1220 Howard Ave, Burlingame
Led by Rabbi Dan Feder
This lively roundtable discussion takes a contemporary look at Jewish thought and experience. Topics range from modern Jewish life and Israel to Jewish holidays, current events, and more. This is the ulti-mate brown bag lunch — you supply the food, Rabbi Feder supplies the food for thought.
Come every month or drop by when you can.
FALL 2017
More Adult Learning Opportunities
Our 2017-2018 Adult Learning program is centered on learning through music.
PROTEST SONGS: SOCIAL JUSTICE THROUGH MUSIC=e Sundays, December 3 & 17=Ɣ 9:30am – 10:30am
Led by Rabbi Lisa DelsonWeaving together the Jewish imperative to pursue social justice and our nation’s tradition of proclaiming justice through song, we’ll look at protest songs through the lens of Judaism and social justice.
TORAH TROPE=e Thursdays, October 26 – February 8=Ɣ 7:00pm – 8:00pm=Ə $25 for textbook
Led by Rabbi Molly PlotnikIn this 7-session class, students will learn how to chant Torah with ease! Students should have basic Hebrew reading skills. No musical skills required.
Pre-Registration required to Rabbi Molly at [email protected].
JANUARY 26-28, 2018
With artists-in-residence Cantor Rosalie Boxt and Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik.
MusicA Year of
ISAAC BRYNJEGARD-BIALIK is an artist living in Southern California. He cuts up paper and reassembles it into works made of clean lines and patterns, sinuous shapes and sharp edges, large fields of color and small intimate spaces.
He first showed his artwork in a “Yom Yerushalayim” arts fair in Jerusalem, and has since shown in galleries across the United States; his art is in the hands of private collectors around the world. Brynjegard-Bialik's most recent large commissions include "Tree of Life" for the new chapel space at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and "To Boldly Go," presented to William Shatner on behalf of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland.
Trained in graphic design, Brynjegard-Bialik started cutting paper while living in Jerusalem. He regularly speaks about the intersection of art and Judaism, has written on the topic for the CCAR Journal, and maintains an annual summer residency at URJ Camp Newman, where he leads workshops teaching campers about papercutting. In 2013, he was the artist-in-residence for the Union for Reform Judaism Biennial.
CANTOR ROSALIE BOXT most recently served Temple Emanuel in Kensington, Maryland, just north of Washington DC. Cantor Boxt was invested Cantor from the School of Sacred Music of the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 2001. A long-time NFTY, Goldman Union Camp, and Kutz Camp songleader, she co-edited the Shireinu Chordster, published Fall 2000.
Rosalie also serves as the URJ Worship Advisor and Biennial Worship Director. She is a Synagogue 3000 Fellow, and is a Partner in the Kalsman Institute on Judaism and Health. She is also a past Vice-Pres-ident for Member Relations of the American Conference of Cantors (ACC). Through PresenTense, an incubator for young Jewish social entrepreneurs and ConnectGens of the DC-JCC, she launched a non-profit business called Kesher Shir: a venture that brings together Jewish musicians from diverse backgrounds to study, collaborate, and create meaningful music which will enrich and enliven worship and strengthen communities. She currently mentors cantors in the field and consults congregations on issues of worship and music.
CONGREGATIONAL RETREAT
LIFELONG LEARNING
LIFELONG LEARNING FALL 2017
A JEWISH APPROACH TO WHOLENESS=e Friday, November 10=Ɣ 6:30pm Shabbat service honoring veterans followed by savory oneg 8pm Discussion
A lively conversation on relationships, health, and wellness.
TORAH TODAY WITH RABBI ADDRESS=e Saturday, November 11=Ɣ 9 – 10am
For our weekly Torah study, we welcome special guest Rabbi Richard Address, who will lead us through parshat Chayei Sarah.
EMBRACING DIVERSITY=e Saturday, November 11=Ɣ 7 – 10pm
Havdalah and conversation. Over dessert and drinks, discuss how Boomers’ embracing of diversity has impacted American Judaism.
“LIFE IS A JOURNEY”=e Sunday, November 12=Ɣ 9:30am Brunch 10am Program
Share stories of connection and community in the context of Alvin Fine’s poem that begins, “Birth is a beginning and death a destination…”
WITH SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE
RABBI RICHARD ADDRESSNovember 10-12, 2017
Rabbi Richard F. Address, D.Min, is founder and director of jewishsacredaging.com. Previously, he served for over three decades on staff at the Union for Reform Judaism in a variety of roles related to family programming. Rabbi Address was ordained from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in 1972 and began his rabbinic career as a congregational rabbi.
A major part of Address’ work has been in the development and implementation of the project on Sacred Aging. This project has been responsible for creating awareness and resources for congregations on the implications of the emerging longevity revolution with growing emphasis on the aging of the baby boom generation. This aging revolution has begun to impact all aspects of Jewish communal and congregational life.
INSPIRING
CURIOSITY
SUSTAINING
WONDER
GROWING
CONNECTIONS
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OPEN HOUSESunday, November 19, 2017 | 2-4 pm
MIDDLE SCHOOL OPEN HOUSESunday, December 3, 2017 | 4-6 pm
Children and parents welcome. To register, visit www.wornickjds.org/visit
Innovative Partial Immersion Hebrew Language Program • Small Class Sizes • Dynamic Project-Based
Learning • Critical Thinking • Complex Problem Solving • Ethical Decision Making • Singapore Mathematic
Methods • Next Generation Science Standards • Music, Art, and Athletics • Connected Community
Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School is an independent, co-educational program for learners in Transitional Kindergarten through 8th Grade. We are open to all applicants.
6 5 0 - 3 7 8 - 2 6 0 0 | w w w . w o r n i c k j d s . o r g | 8 0 0 F o s t e r C i t y B l v d . | F o s t e r C i t y , C A 9 4 4 0 4
Non-Profit OrgU.S. Postage
PAIDPermit 66
Burlingame, CA
PENINSULA TEMPLE SHOLOM1655 Sebastian Drive, Burlingame, CA 94010
650-697-2266 sholom.org
