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Nov
'03 onwards
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"Making
Judaism Available to Everyone-in Song! Get Your Free Service CD Now"
April 2003
From the Desk of Rabbi Cohon
Making Judaism Available to Everyone-in Song! Get Your Free Service CD Now
In the course of more than doubling our congregation’s membership, creating a
Preschool with 80 children enrolled, and attracting literally thousands of
people to Taste of Judaism classes and Simply Shabbat Services, it’s become
clear that not everyone knows how to participate fully in our services. We
have members who come from everywhere in the country-and the world-and from
every Jewish tradition, and many other traditions. Nonetheless, we would like
everyone to walk into services and feel right at home.
To increase that Shabbat comfort level, and to further Jewish education and
enjoyment, we have produced a new CD that is now available free of charge to
every member of Temple Emanu-El, and to every family with a child enrolled in
our Temple Emanu-El Preschool. The CD, “A Shabbat Evening of Song”, contains
the music of our entire Friday night service, sung by Cantor Marjorie
Hochberg and myself, and accompanied by pianist Bob Remstein. Included with
the CD is a small book written by Rabbi Freelund and me that explains the
different parts of the service, and has the text of all the prayers in
transliteration (Hebrew spelled out in English letters) and in English
translation.
Our new CD is a great learning tool, but it’s also good music that’s fun to
listen to. Professionally produced by engineer Stu Kupers, it will help
you-and your children or grandchildren-learn Sabbath prayers and songs in a
fun way. It’s a wonderful way to learn and enjoy Shabbat music at Temple, and
it’s also very easy to receive.
If you are a Temple member, simply come to the Temple office during business
hours to receive your free CD. If you are not yet a Temple member but have a
child enrolled in the Preschool, stop by the Preschool office, and ask for
your CD. Our staff will give you a free CD and check your name off of a list.
The CD’s will also be made available on Sunday mornings in April for
Religious School families to pick up.
If you are not a member and want a copy, or if you want additional copies of
the CD, you can purchase them for a $10 donation to the Temple Emanu-El Music
Fund, which sponsored this CD.
Let us know what you think of the CD! Marjorie Hochberg and I are currently
planning a Shabbat morning CD, set to record this summer, to provide another
useful and enjoyable way to access Jewish tradition.
In addition, our Avanim Rock Band’s CD, Judaism Rocks Volume I: A Rock
Shabbat is available in the Temple Gift Shop and Temple Office or by mail.
It’s a great way to experience the fun of our Family Shabbat music, and makes
a great gift. Music from the CD has been featured regularly on our Too Jewish
Radio Show at 10 on Sunday mornings on 990 AM.
There is a donation required of $18 to the Music Fund for the Avanim CD,
which is dedicated to the memory of the band’s biggest fan, Naomi Millstone.
Get yours now, and send it to friends! Kids particularly love it. Although
it’s certainly not intended to be a lullaby album, my daughter won’t go to
sleep without it playing…
Our goal here is to make it easy to sing, participate, and feel good in
services here at Temple. When we come together to pray, we come together as a
kehillah, a congregation and community. And that’s what Judaism is all about.
L’shalom v’rei’ut, in peace and friendship,
Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon
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