This Friday Night is going to ROCK
Okay folks I know that last month we invited you all to Kol Zimrah in honor of our third anneversary. But we took a poll to see if anyone came because they heard about us on Jewschool and not one person raised their hand! [Update: Lost of love to you Aliza!] To everyone else: People, you are seriously missing a revolution here.
But all it not lost. This Friday I will be leading along with the jazz styles of Ruby-K on sax, as well as two other extremly talented musicians playing on guitar and dumbek. It may sound like a concert to you, but if you’re saying that, you’re showing you’ve never really experienced Kol Zimrah. It’s a participatory service with exciting tunes, new and old, to accompnay the full Hebrew liturgy.
So if you’re in NYC, can make it to the SAJ @ 15 West 86th Street at 6:30pm, we’d love to see you there.
Special guest apperances by other Jewschool bloggers! (And tell us that Jewschool sent you!)
one person did raise their hand, she was in the corner and you didn’t see her….
I like to experince kol zimrah by keeping the laws of shabbos. you should try it sometime.
It was a half-assed hand (to mix a metaphor) – she said that she had heard about KZ before and had been meaning to go, and the JewSchool post was what put her over the edge. Maybe she’s reading now.
sorry i overlooked you, ms. faithful jewschool reader! hopefully your actions will inspire more to join the crew.
ahem….i am that half-assed hand-raising girl…..and yes, bz, who was sitting next to me, did get the story straight- i knew about the minyan, but really decided to go after reading the jewschool post, so ….i think that does count…..
standing up for all the anonymous jew-school readers
Um.
Someone may have already said it, but yeah, try the Kol Zimrah of Shabbos. What a chillul Hashem… “Jewschool” playing sax on shabbos. Come on now. What would our self-righteous little Chafetz Chaim sticky think about that, Mob n’ Shamir?
would anyone care to discuss the merits of music during prayer services, the halakhic question of playing instruments on shabbos, and the question as to whether or not we are necessarily bound to halakha?
I don’t think “Jewschool” plays sax — the link to Ruby K got messed up.
And anyway, if you’re concerned for our souls, shouldn’t you be more concerned that Kol Zimrah has mixed seating? Instruments on shabbat is d’rabbanan, while some say that mechitza is d’oraita.
There was massive music action in Bait haMikdash – esp shabbat and chagim. Why should anyone cut down the possibilities of such a spiritual experience? That halakha must have originated by mistake or misinterpretation, and anyway, I personally really dont give a damn about it. As far as I’m concerned, we’re here to find out where and what god is, and to pound at the meaning of life. I’d be all over SAJ if not for the term papers. Hatzlachah, I’m sure you guys are going to rock out. Lots of Jake-love.
Regarding music on Shabbas…
When I daven on Saturday morning I use the Artscroll Ashkenaz Siddur. Several of the prayers and psalms discuss singing songs to hashem, celebrating shabbat with clanging cymbals and the ten-string lyre, sounding the shofar, etc. These are all musical endeavors. I don’t understand how in our prayers we can express the desire to make music to hashem, and yet being shabbas we cannot make music.
If I analyze the halakah, as I know it, the only prohibitions should be that we cannot carry the instruments to the shul [Carrying] and we cannot turn electric instruments on or off [Burning]. Aside from those, the only other issue would be that we are not supposed to create things on shabbat, and music is certainly created.
I must say that I am a bal teshuva and I trying to get my character in line with Halacha. Currently I don’t observe all prohibitions, but I forsee a time when I will be more observant. I currently avoid travelling, spending money, discussing issues related to work, and using the computer among other things.
I love jewish music and have many good CD’s. I would be challenged as to whether I would attend this if I could.
Shalom,
Michael
I may be going to simple child route here, but my thing is this. G-d gave me this musical gift. Without getting melodramatic, music has saved my ass in this world a few times. So praying through my horn on Shabbas seems justified and necessary to me, because if I can honor G-d’s name better through music than spoken or sung prayer, I’d rather do the best I can with the gifts I’ve been given. I’m just saying.