KKSY members share a kiddush and blow their shofar (horn).
There are certain songs that stay with us, no matter how long ago we learnt it. When we hear the song, our minds take us back to a particular place or time in our lives. Music has the power to connect to us in a way that words alone cannot reach.
When I’m in a bad mood, a good song can sometimes lift me right out of it. And some songs just make me cry, which isn’t always a bad thing. Our rabbis say that even though the gates of prayer are sometimes closed, the gates of tears are never closed. Therefore, tears can be a powerful tool for connection and reconciliation with Hashem.
In short, music touches our souls. This is why we spend so much time over the High Holy Days singing songs in shul together. Not everyone knows the words, or can read Hebrew, but there is still a special energy that is found in Shul when we all sing (or hum) together. Every year it touches me, and I hope that this year it will touch you too.
On Tuesday, our wonderful Chazan, Zvi Kahn sang some of the Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur tunes, accompanied on the piano by our very own fabulous pianist, Sue Mariner, interspersed with explanations from the Rabbi. For those who missed it, we recorded him singing a few of the tunes and some thoughts to help us understand the words we are saying and their meaning. (See here for the recording of the songs with explanations.)
It can be hard to relate to prayers in a foreign language, so I hope that these ideas will help to make the High Holy day songs more relevant and enjoyable for you as we approach these awesome (but sometimes undervalued) days.
Rosh Hashana is more than just apple and honey. It is the day when the world is judged. When we sing our songs, we are crowning Hashem as our King, and connecting to Him as our Father.
It is my hope and prayer that this year, the songs we will sing together will awaken the right emotions within us, so that our prayers will be answered, and we will be blessed with a happy, sweet new year.
-Shuli Liss of Highgate Synagogue in London U.K.
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