Shabbat Shalom! It is a pleasure to welcome Tamara Reps Freeman, Benjy Povman, and Caleb Gleit to join Rabbi Holtz and myself on the bima this evening in music and prayer. Rabbi Holtz and I have worked together, along with the Ritual Committee, to explore what prayer at TBA might sound like. We have used our screens for a hands free service so that we can connect with those in attendance in a different way. We have tried services with fewer spoken words to see how music touches our souls and lifts our spirits. We tried a service where we set the prayers to Beatles’ melodies to see if the words might strike us in a different way if the melodies were different yet familiar. Tonight we welcome these talented musicians to enhance our familiar melodies and introduce us to new ones via violins and drums.
Tamara Reps Freeman, Jen Povman’s sister, is a talented violinist with a specialty in Holocaust music and education. She has been at TBA before as part of our Adult Education lectures and I know that this evening will be equally interesting, entertaining, and inspiring.
On another note, next Friday I look forward to welcoming Amanda Berkson, Olivia Berkson, and Hannah Monack to join Rabbi and myself on the bima as we thank our outgoing, and install our incoming, Board of Trustees. These talented pre-b’nei mitzvah students will add harmony throughout our service . It has been a wonderful year of music, prayer, and inclusion and I want to thank all who worked so hard to learn new music, share their talents with the congregation, and lift our spirits.
Shabbat Shalom, Margot
