Shabbat Shira: Jazz with Pizzazz

This month, we, the music committee, choirs and cantors are gearing up for our 2015 Shabbat Shira service featuring the return visit of renowned jazz composer/pianist, Dr. José Bowen. Dr. Bowen has just returned to the Greater Washington Area this past summer as the President of Gaucher College. We are so thankful that he will be here with us at Temple Sinai on Friday, February 20 at 6:30 PM to lead us in a spirited Jazz Shabbat service. The music will be a combination of well-known tunes transformed by the jazz idiom and José’s original melodies for the prayers of our liturgy. In addition to José at the keyboard, we will be accompanied by a hot combo of local jazz musicians. The service will also include the participation of our Adult and Youth choirs. Following the service there will be a catered dinner of savory Middle Eastern food. Stay tuned for sign-up details in the coming weeks.

Why do we lift up Shabbat Shira, the Sabbath of the Song each year? Why do we use this moment to explore different possible musical genres used in prayer? The mission of the music committee has been to enrich our congregation by providing new ways to invigorate the music of our prayers. At each Shabbat Shira service, we hope to provide a new entry point to reach your nefesh, your Jewish soul. It is through the music of prayer, that we aspire to help you find fresh ways to express and to understand the liturgy. Our hope is that you will find new meanings in the text, perhaps a nuance that you may have missed before. By experiencing a new musical approach to our worship, a moment to become even more spiritually fulfilled may be realized.

The concept of Shabbat Shira originates from a specific Torah portion, Beshalach, in the book of Exodus. In this portion, Exodus 15:1-19, is the “Song of the Sea” (Shirat Hayam). This is the victory song or poem that is attributed to Moses following the dramatic escape from Pharaoh’s rule. The recitation of this part of the text is completely different than any other part in the Torah. The regular cantillation or Torah chanting is not used. Instead, verses are chanted to their own unique melody. In Ashkenazi communities the special melody is used for each phrase in the song that has God’s name in it. The special melody weaves in and out of the text. The uniqueness of the chant during this portion captures your attention to listen and experience the words in a more focused and attentive way.

This year, even though the actual Parshah B’shalach will occur on January 31, the Reform movement creates a special music month surrounding this time. Thus, our Temple Sinai celebration will take place on Friday, February 20, when we will feature the brilliance of Dr. José Bowen and his Jazz Shabbat service.