CANTOR CHAIM DOVID BERSON

THE POWER OF SONG

BY CANTOR CHAIM DOVID BERSON

I recently came across an article that extolled the power of our voices. It was written by journalist Susan Jaques in the LA Times, on April 2, 1992, and it resonated deeply with me.

We do it in the shower. We do it in the car. We do it under our breath at work. And when no one’s home, we even do it in front of the mirror with an imaginary microphone.

And some of us even do it in the rain.

Singing. Ballads and blues, show tunes and classics.

But what separates us from professional crooners like Michael Crawford and Aretha Franklin is that they sound good. Fret not, though. As it turns out, carrying a tune isn’t all that important. The experts and James Brown agree that the very act of singing—even off key—makes us feeeeeeeel good. According to the experts, singing has the power to alter our moods and conjure up memories and feelings. Singing also provides an emotional release, a way to express our thoughts and feelings, says Margaret Schaper, a USC professor of voice. We sing because something inside us needs to express something beyond words. Everyone can do this to some extent. The human voice is the most perfect of all instruments. She continues: Singing is the cheapest therapy you can find.

During these challenging times, music and song have played an essential role in our lives. Now more than ever there is a need for the spirituality, emotion, and healing that music brings.

Singing is an integral part of every ritual and life cycle event - and the holiday of Pesach is no different. We all have our favorite Seder tunes that get us into the Pesach spirit.

The Seder is all about celebrating and passing on the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim and the Jewish people from generation to generation. And there is no better way to that than through song.

As we say in the Haggadah:

,ַחֵּב ַׁשְל ,לֵּלַהְל ,תוֹדוֹהְל םיִבָּיַח וּנְחַנֲא ךְָכיִפְל סֵּלַקְלוּ הֵּלַעְל ,ךְֵרָבְל ,רֵּדַהְל ,םֵמוֹרְל ,רֵאָפְל םיִּסִנַה־לָּכ־תֶא וּנָלְו וּניֵתוֹבֲאַל הָׂשָע ֶׁש יִמְל ןוֹגָּיִמ תוּרֵחְל תוּדְבַעֵמ וּנָאיִצוֹה :וּלֵּאָה רוֹאְל הָלֵפֲאֵמוּ ,בוֹט םוֹיְל לֶבֵאֵמוּ ,הָחְמִׂשְל הָרי ִׁש ויָנָפְל רַמאֹנְו .הָּלֻאְגִל דוּבְּע ִׁשִמוּ ,לוֹדָּג .הָּיוּלְלַה :ה ָׁשָדֲח

Therefore, we are obligated to thank, praise, laud, glorify, exalt, lavish, bless, raise high, and acclaim He who made all these miracles for our ancestors and for us: He brought us out from slavery to freedom, from sorrow to joy, from mourning to [celebration of] a festival, from darkness to great light, and from servitude to redemption. And let us say a new song before Him, Halleluyah!

“The Epidemic of Loneliness” continued from p. 9

Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, the Hafetz Haim, echoes this in his book Ahavat Hessed: Taking care of guests is not solely for those in material need; it includes the wealthy, and it is the caring and honoring of another human being regardless of economic or social status. This is also expressed by Rabbi Eliezer Melamed in his book Peninei Halakhah in the context of hakhnasat orhim. There he relates that inviting guests is not only taking care of another’s physical needs; it is showing another person they are valued:

… to some extent the physical abundance has highlighted the anguish of the soul, and many today feel loneliness and alienation, and there is nothing like hospitality to alleviate their anguish... Good, sympathetic, warm hospitality can re-instill in them the belief that their lives have value, that people value them, are happy to be with them and are interested in helping them.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, studies have been conducted to determine whether loneliness had escalated as a result and, surprisingly, the 3% increase, as noted in the Journal of the American Medical Association, was viewed as relatively insignificant and essentially consistent.8 Brigham Young University Professor of Psychology Julianne HoltLunstad remarked that a cause might be “… a real outpouring of communities really trying to band together and look out for neighbors and for those who might be most vulnerable…” 9 during this crisis. It is heartening to observe the heightened connectivity communities have experienced this past year despite the social isolation born of this pandemic.

This camaraderie stems from feeling that although we are distanced from one another in many ways, we are not alone. Whether virtually or in person with safety measures in place, we are strengthened and uplifted by sharing meaningful moments together. With our fellow New Yorkers, the nightly cheering from windows and fire escapes thanking our essential workers in the early quarantine days. With our friends and families, Zoom birthdays and graduations, intimate weddings surrounded by our closest friends and family, sharing the experience with those whom we love most.

And with our KJ family – pre-Shabbat ‘Scotch and Smiles’ and motzaei Shabbat musical Havdalah, panels with therapists and health professionals, cooking classes and support groups are countless ways to remain connected and engaged, through seeing others and feeling seen. Most importantly, our hessed committees have mobilized volunteers to reach out and connect with our community, a conscious effort by dozens of community members to reach out and connect with others. With the new awareness of loneliness, many of us have stood up and made the call. We can give others hope, purpose, and encouragement, and all it takes is for us to pick up the phone, reach out, and sincerely be there for someone else. We can be the antidote to loneliness, with one genuine interaction at a time.

DAILY MINYAN

SUN | 8:30 AM & MON - FRI | 7:15 AM

1 CIGNA. (2020). Loneliness and The Work Place. cigna.com/static/wwwcigna-com/docs/about-us/newsroom/studies-and-reports/combattingloneliness/cigna-2020-loneliness-report.pdf

2 Jeste, D. V., Lee, E. E. and Cacioppo, S. (2020). Battling the Modern Behavioral Epidemic of Loneliness: Suggestions for Research and Interventions. JAMA Psychiatry and Leigh-Hunt, N. et al. (2017). An overview of systematic reviews on the public health consequences of social isolation and loneliness. Public Health.

3 Murthy, Vivek (2017) Work and The Loneliness Epidemic Reducing isolation at work is good for business. Harvard Business Review.

4 Julianne Holt-Lunstad, PhD, The Potential Public Health Relevance of Social Isolation and Loneliness: Prevalence, Epidemiology, and Risk Factors, Public Policy & Aging Report and Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T.B., & Layton, J.B . (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review. PLoS Medicine and CIGNA. (2020). Loneliness and The Work Place (see footnote 1).

5 HM Government. (2018). A connected society A strategy for tackling loneliness – laying the foundations for change. assets.publishing.service. gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/ file/936725/6.4882_DCMS_Loneliness_Strategy_web_Update_V2.pdf

6 CIGNA. (2020). Loneliness and The Work Place (see footnote 1).

7 M.D., V. M. H. (2020). Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World. Harper Wave. Pp 8-9.

8 McGinty EE, Presskreischer R, Han H, Barry CL. Psychological Distress and Loneliness Reported by US Adults in 2018 and April 2020. JAMA.

9 SILBERNER, J. S. (2020, July 15). Loneliness Hasn’t Increased Despite Pandemic, Research Finds. What Helped? NPR News. npr.org/sections/ health-shots/2020/07/15/890777131/video-chats-driveway-dances-anddino-parades-buffer-pandemics-loneliness