Shana tova
This last year and a half has been pretty tough. A lot of heart-break, a lot of loss. We’ve lost things that nourish and bind our lives together. The daily and weekly rituals of person to person connection- family gatherings, hugs from friends or grandchildren, no coming together to sing and pray and eat with each other. Many of us have had friends and family pass away.
You have all just heard me sing, meolam kivinu lach, (from the Modim prayer) meaning with kindled hope forever on… and I’ve been thinking about the texts that we read at this time: From the Torah we read the story of Hagar and Ishmael, the story of Abraham and Isaac and in the Haftorah the story of Hannah and all through Elul we have been reading psalm 27. Threaded through all of these texts is this expression of hope.
Shana tova
This last year and a half has been pretty tough. A lot of heart-break, a lot of loss. We’ve lost things that nourish and bind our lives together. The daily and weekly rituals of person to person connection- family gatherings, hugs from friends or grandchildren, no coming together to sing and pray and eat with each other. Many of us have had friends and family pass away.
Al Tifros Min Ha.ibur
Al Tishkach O.mat Ha-edah
Al Tarchek Min Hakahal, Kahal Hakodesh na na na na na na na…..
In another 10 days we will gather for Kol Nidre – the evening service of Yom Kipppur that is given that name by the opening prayer that launches us into 24 hours of fasting and asking for forgiveness……
As you know Kol Nidre gets chanted three times each year, which means that last night I chanted Kol Nidre from this bima for the 75th time which got me to reflecting about my journey that led me to being your cantor for 25 years……
The word “Tashlich” means “You will cast away.” The essence of Tashlich as most of us know it is that on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, we go to a running body of water such as a sea, river, stream, lake or pond, preferably one that has fish, and we recite verses, mostly from the psalms……
It’s time for Ne’ilah.
The word ‘Ne‘ilàh’ comes from the word ‘lin‘ol’,
which means ‘to lock’, and refers to the locking of the gates of heaven……
What I remember is that in 1957, when my next-door neighbor Nadey Libster was eight years old,
his father died of cancer and he became the only kid I ever knew who stayed inside shul
for the Yizkor Service……
Shortly I will be chanting the Hineni prayer,
a prayer that is known as the cantor’s prayer……