Long Island's Oldest Reform Congregation
140 Central Avenue - Lawrence, NY 11559
(516) 239-1140

Dearest Congregants

January has been a busy month. I would personally like to thank the Junior Choir for participating in both the Family Service and Shabbat Shirah “The Song of the Sea.” I would like to personally acknowledge all those who chanted torah and all others who participated in song and instruments.

Next, I must say that the Bar and Bat Mitzvah program has made great strides. Our students are learning their prayer services in the Religious School. I have been teaching Torah trope to the upcoming students to assist them in their learning, and I have also been teaching portions from the Torah directly. This has made a big impression on our students. They are eager to read from Torah, and the repetition of learning directly from the scroll has improved their confidence and enhanced the self esteem that they gain from the Bar/Bat Mitzvah process. Each time I am overwhelmed by the thoroughly adult way in which they conduct themselves and lead the congregation in this most important ceremony.

Rabbi Yoffie made strong remarks regarding the music of the Shabbat service at the UAHC Convention. Actually, he referred to Cantors as “Operatic Obstructionists”. He made mention of the fact that he thought that the entire service liturgy should be sung without spoken text at all and that we should abandon the traditional melodies for a new “American” nusach. It is said that every generation must re-discover the Torah for themselves and make it meaningful in their lifetime. It is the same idea with Jewish Music—we have hundreds of years of traditional melodies and some chants that have been passed on by oral tradition for over a century. We can pick and choose traditional melodies along with more modern musical interpretations of liturgy that enhance the texts, but if we pick only that which is entertainment, we lose the uplifting experience of music in prayer. The role of music is to enhance the prayer text with spirituality, bringing us to a place “before words” by saying the words-feeling them in our mouths and in our minds. While La, la, la is a good text some of the time, it is not a substitute for the liturgy of our people. We are a COMMUNAL people and our strength comes from our praying together as a community—being with each other and for each other collectively. Spirituality in prayer service comes from the melding of the text and music because it says something—either a petition to God, or praise, or thanks.

As we move into the 21st century and find new models of prayer, let us not forget that which does work and remember to incorporate those styles into our new models.

Lastly, I am still accepting applications for actors and actresses to perform in our Purim Spiel “The Zion King”. “The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd.”---“The Roar of the Lions, the Smell of the Hamentashen”. Come one, come all! Guaranteed to be great fun for all!

Wishing you good health and happiness---

B’shalom, 

Cantor Oreen Zeitlin