KOL HADASH . new voIce
asj kue The World of Piyut* at BJ
“
They bring us into the full range of emotions and to a universe of nuance, grace, refinement, and elegance, as well as a profound connection to the roots of Jewish culture and Jewish peoplehood.”
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • ADAR I/ADAR II/NISAN 5771
RABBI J. ROLANDO MATALON A few years ago, I spent half of a 40-day sabbatical in a cabin on a farm in Vermont in the middle of the freezing winter. I used some of the time to study holy books, some practicing my oud (Arabic lute), and a lot of time exploring on my laptop the Hazmanah LePiyut/Invitation to Piyut website (www.piyut.org.il). What I discovered amazed me and filled me with deep joy: a trove of thousands of liturgical poems and devotional prayers in musical renditions from all over the Jewish world. There are piyutim that follow the yearly cycle such as Shabbat songs and piyutim for holy days and festive occasions, and piyutim that follow the human lifecycle, from birth—piyutim for brit milah and for the birth of a daughter—through bar and bat mitzvah, to marriage. And there are psalms and songs of supplication. Some of the best-known and most widely used piyutim, such as Lekha Dodi or Adon Olam, appear in dozens of melodies from all over the world, both old and contemporary. Other piyutim are used only by specific communities and appear in just one or a couple of melodies.
The Glee-ful BJ Hanukkah Play
The poetic and musical creativity of the Jewish people during the past two millennia in various Diaspora communities, and at times also in the Land of Israel, has been enormous. Many of these textual and musical traditions have been lost, but since the founding of the State of Israel and the arrival of many of these ancient Diaspora communities to Israel there has been an effort to preserve, record, and restore as much as possible of the these traditions. There is currently a strong interest on the part of Israelis—both traditional and so-called “secular”—to rediscover and reconnect to this heritage as an essential part of Jewish identity and Jewish culture. For the past few years we at BJ have been exploring the world of piyutim, in special classes and at services, in collaboration with Hazmanah LePiyut, which was founded in 2005 and is one of the leading projects in making the world of piyut accessible and alive. This collaboration has expanded BJ’s musical horizons, and it has been a productive and enriching experience.
PHOTO: MAX ORENSTEIN
See pages 12-13 for more about kids and music at BJ.
In our wish to share our experience and to introduce the world of Piyut to synagogues, schools and communities throughout North America, we created a four-day experience in partnership with Hazmanah LePiyut and with the generous support and guidance of the Charles H. Revson (continued on page 5) * Piyut: from the Greek poietes, poet
Social Action/Social Justice . . . . . .2-3 Volunteering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Piyut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Our Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-8 Member Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Staff Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Announcements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Youth & Family Education . . . . . .12-13 Hakhnasat Orhim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Yom HaShoah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
inside: Volunteering at BJ Goes Digital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Transformational Power of Piyutim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Growing Up at BJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Mekusharim: Our Routes and Roots in New York . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Who’s Cooking in the Development Department. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Moving With the Music. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL : 212.787.7600 • FAX : 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE : www.bj.org