Each year, I share some thoughts -- and explanations of some of the prayers and music -- with the congregation. Printed and placed in their prayer books (machzorim) along with announcements about synagogue activities. Here's what's in their for Rosh Hashanah 5777
Rosh Hashanah Thoughts from Cantor Chomsky. .
.
We gather
again.
Thank
you, Tifereth Israel, for the amazing opportunity you provided Susan and me for
growth and exploration this last year -- as we took a 4-month sojourn in Asia.
On our
two previous sabbaticals, we spent the time in Israel. We still love
Israel, of course, and visit as often as possible, especially with our daughter
and son-in-law now living there. But it
seemed like the challenge of going somewhere very different was a good idea.
We
experienced the life of outsiders--people very obviously different from most of
the people in our adopted neighborhood. First, two months headquartered in
Hanoi. Then, a month in India, and finally a trip to parts of Japan. We stuck out. Big time. From a Jewish
perspective, we either made Jewish life by ourselves or, occasionally, joined
with the few Jews in our "chosen" outpost, whether it was Hanoi,
Delhi, Tokyo or elsewhere.
So many people in the Jewish world say they feel like
outsiders when they come to synagogue on the High Holidays. So our experience as outsiders had special
meaning that I hope is relevant this fall.
I hope that the writings below, about the music and liturgy, and our
inviting machzor, will help you feel like insiders!
As I
wrote these words, I was on my way back to Columbus from attending the funeral
of Uncle Joe Chomsky--my father's brother--closing a chapter in my pre-Columbus
life, having stood today at the graves of my grandparents, and of quite a few of
the mysterious old people of my youth, those folks with the “heksents.”
I know
that many of you must have stood at these crossroads, and I’d love to hear your
thoughts about that. Please share these
with me and others during the Days of Awe.
Talk to me in person, but feel free also to write me at CantorJC@aol.com. I’m also thinking about when my children will
have the feeling that I did today – and when my grandchildren will stand at
such a crossroads.
As we
gather together this Rosh Hashanah, are we moving toward creating a rich Jewish
future for our children and grandchildren?
Does Jewish matter? How alienated
do we feel from our own religious tradition and culture?
We’ll be
spending some hours together on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We’ll be using a book that is filled with
generations’ heartfelt expression about the meaning of life and relation to
God. But the book is largely in
code. And the music is in code. We can easily find contemporary expressions
about life’s meaning – but someday these will be a hard-to-decipher code for
future generations, so investing time, thought and energy in deciphering our
own ancient code seems like a good choice.
Open your
heart. Take a little more time when you
greet your friends to really hear what they’re telling you about their
lives. Let your heart break open to
acknowledge where you struggle and to empathize with the struggle of your
neighbor. Listen for how this is
exemplified in the words and melodies of our prayers.
The Music and Liturgy of Rosh Hashanah [page references
are in Mahzor Lev Shalem.]
Evening
Service: The formal beginning of the
evening service (Maa’riv), Barchu (p. 5), introduces the majestic and
elegant nusach melody that will be heard up to the Amidah and in the
Kiddush—and on Kol Nidrei as well.
(Nusach refers to the melodies and musical modes customary to our liturgy. Its roots go back over a millennium, though
many traditional melodies are “merely” a few hundred years old.)
The words and prayers of this service are much
like any daily evening service. The main
differences are found in the Kedushat Hashem (Sanctification of God’s
name – an extended form of Atah Kadosh,
p. 13) and Kedushat Hayom
(Sanctification of the Day, pp.14-15).
These paragraphs, from Uv’chein Tein Pachd’cha through M’loch
al kol ha’olam (p. 42), will be recited each Amidah on Rosh
Hashanah. Our machzur will guide you– giving
explanations of the prayers in the right margins – and inspiration in the left
margins. When you find something that
inspires, be sure to share it.
Morning Service
The sh’liach tzibbur (service leader, literally “messenger of the
community”) begins at different times on different occasions – Yishtabach on weekdays, Shochein Ad on Shabbat, Ha-el on Festivals, and Hamelech (p. 69) on the High
Holidays. Hamelech means “the King” –
and this is the aspect of God (who we describe in many ways with many names)
that is central to the Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe).
The Shacharit prayers
are similar to those of weekdays and Shabbat – but some of the melodies are of
quite different character.
On page 81,
Misod embodies what might be the
central musical motif of high holiday davening.
L’el oreich din (p. 85)
particularly brings home the judgment theme and in a sense serves as a
Shacharit pre-echo of the awesome Un’taneh Tokef prayer of the Musaph
service.
Following the repetition of the Shacharit Amidah,
the Shacharit service reaches a new height with the recitation of Avinu Malkeinu.
The music for the Torah Service (p. 96)
includes many familiar melodies in their original form: choral works. These works became so popular throughout
Europe (having been introduced in the magnificent synagogues in Berlin and
Vienna) that their melodies achieved MiSinai status among Ashkenazic
congregations, though they date “only” to the 19th century. (MiSinai means, literally, “from Sinai” – but
figuratively, ancient melodies. Many of
our high holiday MiSinai melodies date to Ashkenazic Jewish practice in Germany
as far back as the 11th century!)
When we return the Torah to the Ark, the words are
the same as the rest of the year, but we should try to create and experience a
special sense of holiness, awe and glory together because this day has added
holiness.
The Musaph
(Additional) Service begins with the plaintive Hatzi Kaddish followed by the recitation of the Silent Amidah. The Musaph
service is at heart just a big (really, really big) Amidah. The first pass through – the silent Amidah—includes three lengthy compendia of
biblical references to Malchuyot (sovereignty), Zichronot
(remembrances) and Shofarot (shofar soundings).
Un’taneh Tokef,
which includes B’rosh Hashanah (pp.
282-284), is the dramatic high point of the Musaph liturgy. Its stirring imagery of God sitting in
judgment before us contrasts the loud, clarion call of the shofar with the
hearing of a “still small voice.” It
paints a pastoral picture of sheep passing before their Shepherd Who determines
who shall live and who shall die (and how).
Along with this comes the statement that God waits for us to repent
until the final moment, that we are like dust, that we pass away like a
dream.
The gorgeous B’rosh Hashanah (315) by Meir
Finkelstein will be sung again with Gabrielle Cohen, Halley Dunn, Marissa
Madison, Allison Meyer.
Close your eyes a bit during Musaph, during the shofar sounding and at
other times, and picture yourself among hundreds of thousands of Jews gathered,
in a spiritual sense, in Jerusalem.
Picture also Jews all around the world having such similar experiences
today – thousands of years after this conversation began. Make a promise to connect to this unique and
glorious partnership—day by day, phrase by phrase, act of kindness by act of
kindness, and act of righteousness by act of righteousness—from generation to
generation.
Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year—
Cantor Jack Chomsky
2015 HIGH HOLIDAY CHOIR: Allan Finkelstein, Conductor; Ted Borkan, Bob
Borman, Gabrielle Cohen, Lori Cohen, Jeff Covel, Bradley Goldman, Shelly Kitain, Michelle
Levin, Alice Levitin, Jan Lyddon, Sandy
Mentser, Amy Nathans, Diane Peters, Mike Price, Katya Rouzina, Scott Spira,
Martha Tepper (also accompanist), and Randy Zacks.
