The Glory of the German Jewish Musical Tradition February 3rd at 6 pm and Saturday, February 4th at 10.30 am Sermon in Song and Lecture after Kiddush at 1 pm With this short slide presentation we can experience the glorious audio sounds and visual structure of the once incredible community of German Jewry and its tradition which emanated from that corner of the world. Imagine the royalty of the music, its dignity within the structure of Berlin’s Read more »
SHABBAT SHIRA February 3rd at 6 pm and Saturday, February 4th at 10.30 am Sermon in Song and Lecture after Kiddush at 1pm The intense sounds fill our Sanctuary as we enter our preparations in high gear for Shabbat Shira. Witness our Temple Singers as they are fully engaged and enveloped in the original sounds of our German Musical Synagogal tradition. This short clip demonstrates the intensity and seriousness of mastering the music of Read more »
SHABBAT SHIRA FEBRUARY 3 & 4, 2012 This Shabbat Shira is dedicated to pre WWII German Jewry and is directly connected to the Cantors Assembly Mission “A MUSICAL JOURNEY OF HERITAGE AND HEALING” which I will be leading this coming June 28th – July 4th 2012. The haunting melodies of our synagogal chants have, throughout the centuries, exercised powerful enchantment on our people’s minds and hearts and contributed substantially Read more »
SHABBAT SHIRA KABBALAT SHABBAT FEBRUARY 3, 2012 AT 6 PM CANTOR MAISSNER & LINDI RIVERS AND OUR HBT SIMCHAH BAND The Passion Of Chassidic Music “Mitzvah G’dolah Lihiyot B’simchah” Chasidic doctrine emphasizes that the greatest Mitzvah is to “Be In Joy”. Its expression through song and dance have been important values of the Chasidic movement since its beginnings in the second half of the eighteenth century. This idealization Read more »
Our new Siddur “Pirchei Kodesh” has been received very favourably by many of our worshipers. Friendly, informative, scholarly and full of surprises makes the Siddur a viable addition to our life at Holy Blossom. There are a few new passages throughout the Siddur which perhaps are not immediately familiar or recognizable. It is for that reason that I am happy to provide some learning tools — I am recording sections of the new passages which Read more »
A work in progress – a video clip demonstrating our accompanist, Nadia Adler, and myself researching original music of the German Jewish Tradition. Friday Night Live: with our Simchah Band “The Passion of Chassidic Music” Shabbat Morning: Origin and discipline of German Ashkenaz tradition. The Sahbbat in which we read (chant) the Song of Moses (Exodus Ch 15) sung at the crossing of the Red Sea is celebrated across the world with special Read more »
Track Listing: 6. HANSHAMAH LACK 7. HAVEIN YAKIR LI EFRAIM 8. MIZMOR L’TODAH 9. LO TEDA MILCHAMAH 10. OSE SHALOM Read more »
The Three Ms Nostalgic Memories Concert – November 8th 2011 – was indeed amazing. With a packed house a warm and welcoming sympathetic audience, the three of us – Yossi Malovany, Yakov Motzen, and myself, shared with the public our life stories in songs, of early years growing up in Tel Aviv of the 50’s. We saluted and remembered with warm feelings our mentors and teachers, our beloved Hazzanim Shlomo Ravitz Z’L and the one and only, the Read more »
The Three Ms Nostalgic Memories Concert – November 8th 2011 – was indeed amazing. With a packed house and a warm and welcoming audience, the three of us – Yossi Malovany, Yakov Motzen, and myself, shared with the public our life stories in songs, which our mentor and teacher, the beloved Hazzan Shlomo Ravitz Z’L had entrenched in us. This Cantorial selection is but one of the many prayers we studied as children way back then in 1950’s Read more »
Dear Friends, I thought you might find this interesting – when asking or being asked, Why Germany? My beloved Cantor’s Assembly mission being held this coming June to Germany poses serious questions. In response to these questions, our current President, Cantor Jack Chomsky has responded. “How can I ever go to Germany?” “This was a reasonable feeling to have about the “Poland experience” — and a feeling that was worth overcoming. Read more »
The Three Ms Nostalgic Night was indeed a triumph for our Temple, for our community and for us — The Three Ms — who love each other, admire our accomplishments, remembering our past and the days growing up in that little village of Tel Aviv of the 50s. Our mentors groomed us and shaped us to be what we have become through our life’s journey. For this reason we honoured our great teachers and were inspired to share our message of unity and Read more »
As is our custom at this time, our Music Committee and I are thrilled to announce our Musical Heritage Concert Series for the coming season. Keeping with our tradition we have kept the themes and the events of our concerts in sync and harmony with our mission statement, namely the promotion of Jewish art and in particular the awareness of Jewish music. I have tried to keep the content and venues both exciting as well as somewhat personal. Read more »
Enjoying three of the leading Hazzinim on the scene today; revisiting the German Jewish musical tradition; remembering the work of the composer Srul Irving Glick; and celebrating the shared musical and religious experiences of the early modern Yiddish and African-American worlds. Ashreinu, matov helkeinu! How fortunate we are for this broad array of musical events. Broad in total, each special in particular. Malovany, Motzen and Maissner Read more »
Learn with Cantor Maissner a beautiful melody for “El Adon”—the liturgy and melody part of the liturgical library of the Jews, and soon to be part of ours, too, at Holy Blossom. Siddur Pirchei Kodesh will have much already very familiar and some that is new. Learn “El Adon” here and be ready to sing it Shabbat morning October 29, 2011, 10:30 am! This is a book to have at home, no less than in shul. And it’s a book for dedications, Read more »
Watch Our Temple Singers rehearse for the High Holy Days. Our volunteer choir rehearses once a week and sings at least twice a month during Shabbat and holiday Services. Song at Holy Blossom is an integral part of the prayer service, which allows for participation in the religious life of our synagogue. More singers are always welcome. For more information about Temple Singers, please click here to contact Mari Lynn Rusak. Read more »
Dear Congregants and Friends, Our forthcoming mission to Germany and Israel – June 25 through July 11, 2012 – is going to be the most exciting musical journey. The Cantors Assembly is planning this incredible gathering of dozens of Cantors and congregants into a world-class musical experience of healing and bonding. Just like in Poland when we were over 100 musical ambassadors of our rich and sacred heritage, this mission will enrich your Read more »
If you have never heard 500 people performing and learning all about Jewish music, you have missed one of the greatest musical, emotional, intellectual and educational experiences of your life. Having just returned from the 23rd North American Jewish Choral Festival I am still floating high in a divine world of sounds, harmony, polyphony and melodious strings of pure musical ecstasy. Five days of sheer and total involvement immersed in making Read more »
I am thrilled to announce a marvelous opportunity – a World Class Mission, a Musical Journey of Heritage and Healing to Germany and Israel in June of 2012. Click here to find the flyer for the Cantors Assembly 2012 Mission. Hope and I will be leading this mission. For our specific group we have planned an additional two days to include the city of Hanover. As many of you know, I have strong connections to the city of Hanover where my father Read more »
With the Sanctuary full of congregants, guests and over two hundred Cantors attending the National Convention of the Cantors Assembly, the Shinonome Chorus, the Japanese choir from Beit Shalom Japan, moved everyone in attendance to tears as they invoked a memorial song in memory of the tragedy that has befallen their people. As they sang and delved into the prayer with the depth of their emotions, we all stood up in solidarity for the victims Read more »
Thank you for joining us for this event. It was a tremendous success and enjoyed by everyone in attendance. Shinonome Chorus – Tuesday, May 24th at 8pm. The Japan Christian Friends of Israel — For the Love of the Hebrew Language. CLICK HERE to enjoy the photos and see you at our next Musical Heritage Concert Series. Read more »
