Notes from Cantor Avima

This is the "time of year" when most  Cantors (I can't speak for Rabbis) go into anxiety mode. We are less than 7 weeks away from Rosh Hashanah and as much as I try to "stay calm and carry on", I can't stop the nagging worries about getting sick and checking pollen reports as my  allergies  activate right before or in between holidays...  Is it "coincidence" that I never suffered from "Fall allergies" until my early years in the Cantorate?  

One of the things I do to calm myself is think back to all the High Holidays of past years and remember that when all is said and done, we all get through it and in fact there are moments of great spiritual uplift in spite of all the challenges and exhaustion. Some years I deal with the anxiety by literally not even opening up my High Holiday Machzor (the prayerbook for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) until literally the evening service of Rosh Hashanah. After all, I do know the prayers and the melodies very, very well... and reviewing just seemed to heighten my anxiety. 

Somehow, this year is different. I want to prepare this year.  And, I want to prepare you as well. So much of the High Holiday synagogue experience is musical. There are special once a year prayers and once a year melodies. These melodies hit our ears just like special holiday foods hit our taste buds activating memories. At least for me, these melodies bring to mind all of my past expriences from all the sanctuaries and congregations I have ever prayed with... all at the same time. When I sing some of these melodies I am brought back to my childhood synagogue as well as every other congregation throughout my life. 

But, so many of these prayers really require FULL congregational participation to feel the full impact. Yes, I enjoy listening to  Cantors with beautiful voices and amazing choral settings of High Holiday music, but some of the best moments have been when I really feel the entire congregation singing together. I have been working with a few adults on Hebrew reading skills with a class that I call "Siddur Fluency".  We started about a year and a half ago learning (or relearning)  the Alef-Bet and then progressed to practicing some of the basic Shabbat morning prayers. We are now working on a few High Holiday "HITS". This small group is making progress - they can now chant Torah blessings from the Hebrew (not transliteration), they can follow along as I sing the prayers and when I slow down a bit, they can sing along during the Torah service and Amidah. Anyone is welcome to join us on zoom. Just shoot me an email. Basic ability to read Hebrew is required for this class, however if there is enough interest, I would be happy to start a new beginner class after the holidays. 

But, I know many of you do not have the time to learn to read Hebrew in the next 7 weeks before Rosh Hashanah, so I am in the process of making very simple recordings and transliterations of top High Holiday prayers  and posting them on our Adath Shalom website. I hope to have this complete by next week. So, stay tuned. 

Meanwhile... Enjoy this "High Holiday Mashup" by Six13. High Holiday Mashup- Six13