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Confirmed! Call the airlines. Make sure our flights are on time. Confirmed! What about being Jews? Is that confirmed? It is, every Shavuot, seven weeks after Passover, a week of weeks as our tradition says, the holiday that celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Confirmation is the only distinctive Reform observance. It was originally meant to be a graduation from religious as well as secular education at a time when both coincided with the end of High School. Very much on purpose we had no Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Children of that age were considered too young and frivolous to finish their Jewish education. I can't say I disagree. We never asked our kids if they wanted to be Jewish. We just told them they were, but there comes a time, an age, when we have given our children as much belief as we're going to be able to give them. We can hope and pray that our teaching "took," but there are no guarantees. I have a heartfelt request. No matter what your child did or didn't do as far as their Jewish education is concerned, please, please come to services Sunday night, June 8 at 7PM to support our Confirmands, to support our students who loudly and clearly say in regard to their Judaism: confirmed! And let me tell you a secret. When I bless them on the pulpit that night, I'm not the one confirming them. They're the ones confirming us. Please be there. Support the future of our people. Let them look out at a full sanctuary and realize they have made the proper choice: Confirmed!
Jewish Worship And Musical Instruments Since Biblical times, instrumental music has played a very
important role in Jewish worship. In the book of Numbers we read, "And
on your joyous occasions, your festivals and on your new moon
days, you shall sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings
and your sacrifices of well being." With Alexander the
Great conquering the Middle East, and Jerusalem as part of Persian
Empire, the new era of "Hellinization" began. Greek
philosophy caused a significant change in the Jewish way of thinking.
More and more Jews adopted "Hellenistic" ideas and
assimilated into Greek culture. As a counter-reaction, the rabbis
called for a return to traditional ritual procedures. Many viewed
instrumental accompaniment as a sign of adopting Hellenistic
ideas. As a result, over a period of 400 years, use of instruments
in Jewish worship steadily declined. Finally, when the second
Temple was destroyed in 70 C.E., instruments were forbidden.
Only vocal music was allowed. Only in the 19th century, with
the emergence of Reform Judaism in Germany, Jewish music again
began to be harmonized and accompanied by the organ. And today
many reform and Conservative congregations use piano, organ,
guitar and other instruments in their worship services. Today
many congregations have introduced musical upbeat Shabbat services
that feature a live band. Temple Beth Sholom has enjoyed these
kind of services for the past five years. Our monthly Shabbat
Rinah services attract a multi-generational crowd and are very
special events. This year our Temple's band has included our
own congregants Barry Kuperman (bass clarinet), Tobi Mathios
(flute), John Kenney (guitar) and Ziv Schwartz (drums). I would
like to express my gratitude to our volunteers on behalf of the
congregation. If you haven't had an opportunity to attend our
Shabbat Rinah services you must do so, both to enjoy great music
and to broaden your Jewish musical horizon. Our next Shabbat
Rinah services will be dedicated to Israel's 60th birthday and
will be held on Friday, May 9 at 7:30 PM.
To search for text in sermons and other website documents, enter your search terms and click 'Submit.' Complete High Holy Day sermons are available by clicking the "•" links below.
Here is a sampling of some of Cantor
Schwartz' beautiful musical renditions:
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