Rabbi Carl M. Perkins
Cantor Jamie Gloth 
David A. Farbman, President
A High Holiday Mashup
September 5, 2018 | 25 Elul 5778
Dear Friends,
 
Labor Day has come and gone, and now the High Holidays are about to arrive.

Are we ready? Are we in the proper frame of mind and heart to hear the call of the shofar? I hope so!
 
Last week, we gathered for Selichot prayers. We studied an excerpt from Likutei Moharan, a collection of teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav. In the passage we studied, Rabbi Nachman emphasized the importance of focusing on the present, rather than the future. “Today,” he said, “focus on what you have to do today, not on what you have to do tomorrow. Otherwise, you will feel overburdened.” Then he said something audacious: “Today is all you have. Tomorrow and the days thereafter are like another world.” 
 
That passage, with its emphasis on the urgency of Hayom! (“Today!”) is a striking reminder that we should try to be fully present today, and not to allow tomorrow’s issues to distract us.
 
I hope that we’ll have that teaching in mind as we gather for Rosh HaShanah services next week. It can be hard to distance ourselves from our work and our other responsibilities, particularly on a weekday. But as those who have made Shabbat observance a regular part of their lives can tell you, it can be edifying and soothing to devote time on a holy day to focus on spiritual concerns.
 
Erev Rosh Hashanah services begin this coming Sunday evening at 6:15 pm. On Rosh Hashanah morning (both Monday and Tuesday), services begin at 8:30 am. In addition to our main service in the sanctuary, on both days we will be offering other opportunities for study, reflection, and meditation. And, of course, children’s services are taking place as well. Please consult the HH booklet for details .
 
One more thing: As I’m sure we all know, music is a very powerful vehicle for the transmission of feeling and meaning. The music of the High Holidays is among the most sublime Jewish music we have. I invite you to listen to a lovely mash-up of two great High Holiday prayers. The first is the familiar and beloved Avinu Malkeinu (“Our father, our king” -- or, in a less gendered rendition, “Our parent, our ruler”). I can’t think of a melody that better captures the spirit of the High Holidays. We will chant that prayer on both days of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur. The second is the prayer, “El Norah Alilah” ("God whose work is awesome"), which is chanted just prior to the recitation of the Amidah during the Neilah service. El Norah Alilah, composed by Moses ibn Ezra (a twelfth century Andalusian poet and philosopher) and chanted during the last hour of the long Day of Atonement, inspires feelings of hope and joy as “the gates are closing,” and for that reason is often chanted to lively, spirited melodies:
 
God whose work is awesome,
God whose work is awesome,
Find within You to forgive us,
As the Gates of Mercy close.
 
The Masorti movement in Israel has produced a lovely video mash-up of these two great High Holiday pieces. It includes some sweet shots of smachot (celebrations) taking place at the Azarah Yisrael or “Masorti Kotel,” where men and women can daven together -- a subtle and timely reminder of the importance of supporting the Masorti movement in Israel. I hope you enjoy it!
 
 
 
I look forward to seeing you at services! Take care, be well, and l’shanah tovah tikateivu! May all of us be inscribed and sealed in a book of goodness and sweetness in the coming year.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
Rabbi Carl M. Perkins