Musician-in-Residence Weekend, March 24 and 25, 2012 with Cantor Jeffrey Klepper

One of the most renowned and respected musicians in contemporary American Judaism, Cantor Jeffrey Klepper joined Temple Emanuel’s 50th Anniversary celebration as Musician-in-Residence on March 24 and 25, 2012.

Cantor Klepper has performed throughout the USA and Israel, in England, France, the Netherlands and Russia. His original songs, such as the universally beloved “Shalom Rav,” are known throughout the Jewish world.

One of a handful of contemporary Jewish musicians responsible for changing the sound of American synagogue music, Cantor Klepper is a champion of congregational singing in worship. His influence is demonstrated not only in the hundreds of cantors, song leaders, teachers, singers and musicians who regularly teach and perform his songs, but in the thousands of students, campers and shul-goers who sing them.

The weekend began with the first of two workshops lead by Cantor Klepper – “Jewish Roots: A Hands-on Workshop” for TE musicians and musically enthusiastic TE members, followed by  Havdalah and a spirited concert with the Temple Emanuel Band. On Sunday morning, Cantor Klepper led the religious school families in song, and then presented his second workshop – “American Nusach: What is the Jewish Music of Today and Tomorrow?” for the adults in the congregation, during which he discussed interesting trends and ideas in modern Jewish music.

 

It was a memorable weekend of song, worship and study that helped to set the mood for the remainder of our 50th anniversary activities.

Temple Emanuel Celebrates it's 50th with a Gala

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What a wonderful weekend it was! We celebrated our 50th year in true Temple Emanuel style with singing, dancing, music, food and good friends.

We started the weekend with a special musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, featuring the TE Band and Rabbi Daniel Freelander of the URJ. Rabbi Freelander sang songs and recited prayers with us, and gave a thought-provoking dvar on the future of synagogue life. After the service, we enjoyed a delicious Oneg. Special thanks are due to Jimmy Shure for providing the “extra” funds needed for the event.

Sue Neufeld’s decorating team went into high gear at Racebrook Country Club, creating centerpieces for the gala dinner, arranging flowers and inflating balloons. Also on display for the evening were wonderful collages featuring five decades of photos and newspaper clippings, showcasing the history of TE with pictures of some who are no longer with us, pictures of those who don’t look like they once did, and pictures of those who have grown up in our midst.

AMAZING does not begin to describe the feeling of warmth and sense of community that we shared at the Gala Dinner on Saturday evening, as we laughed, danced, celebrated, re-connected with old friends and met people we had not met before. We enjoyed cocktails on the veranda to the music of the Jazzhouse Gang, before the program, emceed by Max Case, began in the ballroom. Highlights of the evening included Havdalah led by Rabbi Farbman and all of the assembled rabbis and cantors; welcome speeches by Lew Shaffer and Rabbi Farbman; personal reflections by Rabbis Mark Winer and Les Bronstein; and a candle lighting ceremony recognizing TE members from each decade. We were honored by proclamations and good wishes from Representative Rosa DeLauro, Mayor John DeStefano of New Haven and Senator Joe Lieberman; and an additional proclamation and reflection delivered in person by Senator Richard Blumenthal. The program continued with a preview of Nancy Weber’s wonderful video history of TE’s first half-century; and a commemorative song composed by Andrea Shiffrin and performed with the assistance of members of the TE Players.

The final segment of our Second Half-Century celebratory evening included an opportunity to view the entire TE video, as well as dancing to the music of DJ Rabbi Michael. Peter Olin kindly donated his skills and photographed the entire event.

You can see the photos here:

TE 50th Gala Pictures Part 1

TE 50th Gala Pictures Part 2

Rise, Melissa, Karen, Laurel and Betty wish to thank the entire TE family for making this such a wonderful event; truly, this was a night many of us will never forget!

 

 

Dayeinu – or What is Enough?

Passover is a time for getting in touch with our past. We look back at the history of our people; we remind ourselves where we came from – not just in one or two generations, but the very humble beginnings of our people. We remember slavery and its bitterness. We remember divine liberation and freedom. We remember that freedom required extraordinary events such as the sea parting – and extraordinary commitment from our ancestors, who had to make steps into the unknown from which there was no way back… We remember the suffering of others, not just our joy – and that is also the Jewish way…

We ask questions, not just four or five, but dozens, maybe even hundreds throughout the night. Some are trivial and others are profound, but it is the act of asking that matters the most, for it reminds us that we can never know it all, nor can we ever know too much of our own tradition and history. So we are commanded to keep the curiosity alive in ourselves and our children.

As we remember the slavery, we remind ourselves that the world we live in should be free of that plague; we re-dedicate ourselves to the great many issues that demand our attention in this world – freedom from oppression, end of human trafficking, end of modern slavery, end of hunger –  to name just a few. Each family will ask their own questions. Each one of us will be inspired by different passages from the haggadah or by different stories of people around the table.

One of my favorite passages in the haggadah is Dayeinu. Not just because of a great melody and the singing that comes with it, but because of the idea therein: even if we received fewer blessings, it would have been enough! Just freedom, without a chance of survival, would have been enough… Just survival without the land would have been enough… Just a chance to celebrate Shabbat or to have the wisdom of Torah would have been enough.

What an incredible concept! We live in a world in which nothing is ever enough. We ‘need’ bigger cars, better homes, more TV channels, latest gadgets – nothing is EVER enough for us. The world moves forward and so must we. There’s nothing wrong with that, don’t get me wrong – if we are not looking forward, we would never move forward. However, I love the idea of looking back, at least a few times a year, and having a chance to say, “Wow, look how far we have come!” and also “How blessed we are! Dayeinu…” As we celebrate the incredible festival of Passover this year, as we ask the questions and learn the answers, may we also find an opportunity to acknowledge where we are and to say ‘Dayeinu’.

Chag Pesach Kasher v’Sameach, a Happy Passover to you all!

OUR GALA WEEKEND IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!!!

OUR GALA WEEKEND IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!! Temple Emanuel’s 50th Anniversary Gala Weekend begins on Friday, May 11 at 8pm with Shabbat Services. Our guest speaker will be Rabbi Dan Freelander, Senior Vice President of the Union for Reform Judaism and a gifted musician. Saturday, May 12 brings the exciting, not-to-be missed Gala Dinner at Racebrook Country Club. Beginning at 7:30pm, we will enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while listening to live jazz, and have the opportunity to preview the TE 50TH Anniversary video and check out a large collection of TE memorabilia. After Havdalah we will be treated to a delicious kosher-style buffet (glatt Kosher and vegetarian meals are available upon request) followed by special celebratory cakes created by our own TE bakers. Other features of the evening include a history of TE in song – composed by Andrea Shiffrin – and dancing to music presented by our mystery DJ!

Don’t miss out on this wonderful weekend – RESERVE YOUR TICKETS NOW!

You can also download and print out the RSVP card here.

Music to our ears…

“The individual may pray in prose or even in wordless silence; a congregation must sing or disband.”

Israel Abrahams, Poetry and Religion (1920)

Music has always been a part of Judaism. From the Levites who sang the Psalms and played instruments on the steps leading to the Temple in Jerusalem, to the ancient system of cantillation, a special way to chant the Torah; from the melodic way of studying and memorizing rabbinic texts of Mishnah and Talmud to the Hassidic niggunim, often simple melodies that were credited with being as powerful as the most well composed prayers. There are numerous Hassidic sayings about the significance of melody, as the Zohar (foundational work of Jewish mystical thought) puts it, in “opening those heavenly gates that are firmly shut except to song and tears…”

Music stirs our souls in a way that words often cannot, activating emotions within us that we did not know existed… Music is such a strong presence in Temple Emanuel worship style that it is almost unimaginable without it! Yet music in worship (especially instrumental music) has a complicated history in Judaism. Following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE the rabbis placed a ban on the use of music in general, and especially in worship, as a sign of mourning. It is not hard to imagine that having witnessed the devastation, the last thing they wanted to do is sing… Another complication was the prohibition against playing musical instruments on Shabbat – not because the act itself is a violation of Shabbat (it was permitted in the Temple in Jerusalem), but out of much more technical considerations (to prevent the carrying of the instrument, its tuning or repair, if needed, all of which were considered violations of Shabbat). Even the shofar blowing on Rosh Hashanah was suspended if it fell on Shabbat!

From the very beginning, the Reform Movement insisted on bringing the music back to worship, back to the synagogue, back to Shabbat. Music and joy were always part of Judaism and now they were making a comeback! Synagogues installed pipe organs and commissioned talented and popular composers of the time to write music settings for service in the synagogue, giving us the profoundly inspiring music of Lewandowski, Bloch, Sulzer and many others. The music they wrote for the services was spiritual and uplifting. It was also very modern and reflective of the 19th century popular music styles.

As the popular music styles changed in the second half of the 20th century, a new kind of music entered the world of the synagogue worship. The pipe organs were joined (and often replaced) by guitars and electric pianos. Temple Emanuel, founded in 1962, is a true ‘child’ of that era – from the very beginning, our services were accompanied by guitar music, with the entire congregation singing along, rather than relying on a powerful pipe organ and a professional cantor or choir to provide music for the worship experience. In fact, it is probably safe to argue that music has been one of the main defining features of the new congregation, as well as many others that appeared in the 1960s and 1970s around the country.

In the last two years we have introduced the TE band as part of a further experiment with music at TE services – and what an incredible experience this has been! Under Laurel Shader’s wonderful leadership up to 18 TE members of different ages, from middle school to retirees have played together on various occasions, giving a new meaning to ‘musical Shabbat’ at Temple Emanuel. At a recent concert dedicated to memory of Debbie Friedman, Sydney Perry, the Jewish Federation CEO, had jokingly asked me if Temple Emanuel only accepts members who play a musical instrument – so impressive was the presence of our band and the music we were able to contribute to this community-wide concert!

As we continue to bring music to our worship, with the full TE band and with small groups of musicians, with a solo guitar and even a cappella – allowing the music to nurture our souls and lift our prayers straight to heaven – I am delighted to remind you that we have an amazing musical program coming up on March 24/25. A world-renowned singer and composer, Cantor Jeffrey Klepper, is coming to Temple Emanuel! We know and love Jeff’s music, it has for decades been one of the main musical influences in our worship at TE, and we look forward to welcoming him for a very special weekend. There will be a master class for musicians, a talk about Jewish music in the 21st century for everyone, Jeff will lead the asephah in our religious school and last but not least, he will bring much joy and inspiration to all of us through Saturday night concert. The full details of the weekend can be found in this shofar as well as on our website. All TE members get to enjoy this wonderful weekend for free, but we do need people to register (online or through the office) so that we know the exact numbers for the Fire Marshall. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity and enjoy the music!

SECOND NIGHT SEDER @ TE, Saturday Apr 7, 6:00pm

Passover is the time when we celebrate our freedom, our people, our families, and indeed our community.  Temple Emanuel would like to invite members of the Greater New Haven Jewish Community to our Temple’s second night seder on Saturday, April 7 at 6:00 PM.  Rabbi Farbman will lead the seder for our Temple Emanuel family and guests.

Saturday, April 7, 2012, 6:00 pm

Members & Non-Members Welcome!

RESERVATIONS are due by Thursday, March 29th

Cost: Adults (12 and over) $ 28; Children (under 12) $ 10

All food Kosher for Passover. Vegetarian option available upon request.

Click here to register!

 

50th Anniversary Gala Program Book

As part of our 50th anniversary celebration, we are creating a commemorative program book for the gala dinner. The book will include, among other things, an illustrated history of Temple Emanuel and ads. We need your help to make this a successful fundraiser. Please consider placing an ad or approach your favorite businesses and encourage them to support TE!  Ad sizes range from a full page (8×5 in) to a short mazel tov “tweet” (max. 140 characters). Please click here for a copy of the ad order form. Thanks!

Purim Never Dies… Saturday, March 10 @ 7pm

Temple Emanuel is celebrating Purim 007 style.  Please join us on March 10th at 7 PM for a rousing service in the sanctuary, followed by “Purim Never Dies,” a very James Bond Purim spiel.  The festivities continue in the social hall for a Monte Carlo themed party replete with dancing, cocktail hour noshes and TE signature martinis (shaken, not stirred)!  Bring a bottle of wine for our annual 50/50 raffle and receive the chance to turn your favorite Merlot into a fine vino collection.  Registration is available here.  Costumes are strongly encouraged.  Adults only please.

 

Reserve your place now!