Tapestry of Song Weaving Together Temple Sinai’s Rich Musical Talent

Friday, January 26 starting at 6:30 pm

Welcome Shabbat by celebrating the extraordinary richness of music at Temple Sinai, led by Cantor Rachel Rhodes! Our congregation is blessed with many wonderful musicians, each a unique and luminous thread in an exquisite tapestry of song, woven on the strong loom of our community. Join our talented musical clergy, staff and intergenerational volunteers as they fill our sanctuary with music and harmonies that explore the depth and breadth of music’s essential place in Jewish worship!

Please RSVP for the oneg to help us plan!

Join via Livestream

Join our intergenerational pop-up choir!

Rehearsal Tuesday, January 23 at 7:00 pm

Have you always wanted to sing with your kids, grandkids, or like-minded music lovers? This is your chance to learn one simple piece of music with Cantor Rhodes and Neil Weston to be performed at Shabbat Shira. We will rehearse from 7:00-8:00 pm on Tuesday, January 23. Come ready to sing with open hearts and minds – we are striving for joyful communal music-making, not perfection!
RSVP

Music Committee member Kent Allen had a chance to talk with Cantor Rachel Rhodes about this year’s special Shabbat Shira

If you’re one of those people in our congregation who’ve been told to sing quietly or just whisper the lyrics to yourself because someone once convinced you that your pitch wasn’t perfect, at our upcoming Shabbat Shira on January 26th, you can throw caution to the wind and clear out those rusty pipes.

At Temple Sinai, this year’s Shabbat Shira program is a do-it-ourselves affair, and Cantor Rachel Rhodes wants everyone to participate. She means everyone, while offering a gentle word of encouragement. Repeatedly in her career, she has heard from people who tell her that their choir teacher told them to “just mouth the words.”

The cantor couldn’t disagree more with that advice. “I want to throw that on its head and say that everyone should enjoy the experience of singing in a group. … You’re not on the spot, you’re not a solo. You’re adding your special and distinct voice.”

Or, as Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber recently said at the URJ 150 Conference that Cantor Rhodes and Rabbi Roos attended: “if you can’t sing well, sing loud.”

To help move the goal of wider participation to fruition, Cantor Rhodes plans to lead a “pop-up” choir in which anyone in the community can volunteer to learn a song that will be part of the Shabbat Shira service. One practice will be held January 23rd from 7-8 pm at Temple Sinai. Email Gail Sell at gsell@templesinaidc.org if you’d like to participate.

And, of course, there’s much more in store for the January 26th event.

Traditionally, for Shabbat Shira at Temple Sinai, we have invited guest performers to participate. This year will be different, with an inward focus on showcasing our own musical talents. We will hear from the adult choir, the youth choir and the Middle Matzah Conspiracy (MMC) instrumental group. Other skilled musicians from within the Temple Sinai community will also participate, including Rabbi Noah Diamondstein, Cantor Rebecca Robins, Neil Weston, Stew Bernard, Jason Walker and guest Seth Kibel (clarinet).

“Even though there’s a value in bringing outside talent,” the cantor says, “every once in a while, it’s nice to showcase our own.” Cantor Rhodes is familiar with such organic performances, having organized similar concerts in her previous position across the river at Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church.

“It was great because we could witness all the talent in the congregation,” she notes. “It allowed people to experience all of it in one place.”

Cantor Rhodes believes Temple Sinai is perfectly situated for this kind of Shabbat Shira, having witnessed the congregation’s unique embrace of music. She credits her predecessor, Senior Cantor Emerita Laura Croen, for leading Sinai’s music program these past few decades, guiding a community that has in many ways immersed itself in Jewish music both as listeners and participants.

Cantor Rhodes is excited about her first Shabbat Shira at Temple Sinai and hopes it will further tighten the bonds in our community, especially in troubled times like these.

“This is going to be as incredible and uplifting as bringing in an outside artist,” Cantor Rhodes predicts. “There’s something so special seeing our people on the bima, inspiring our congregation to join in song.

Circle of Music Lovers

Support our community’s music programming by becoming a member of the Circle of Music Lovers. The Circle is open to everyone who appreciates the value of diverse, high-quality musical programs at Temple Sinai. All contributions are welcome and appreciated. We are deeply grateful to all our donors!

Join Now