Hazzan Dulkin

Back in December, I sent a letter to the entire membership of our congregation asking you to support the Cantors Assembly, the largest organization of Hazzanim in the world, of which I am a member, and sit on the Executive Council.  So many of you responded to this letter, and your generosity was unsurpassed: I was able to raise almost $1800 for the organization, mostly through many modest donations.  I just returned from our annual Convention in New York, where, at our annual meeting, I joined several of my colleagues in announcing our fundraising efforts to the entire membership. Thank you again for your contributions, and know that you continue to inspire me in my work.

At the Cantors Assembly convention this year, there was a preview of the new High Holiday prayerbook (machzor) that has been in the works for over eight years.  The machzor that we use for our High Holiday services was created in 1972, second edition 1978 by the Rabbinical Assembly. It is the updated version of the 1946 and 1964 siddurim, and the first edition of a Machzor for the entire Conservative Movement.  Forty years later, a new Machzor, entitled Lev Shalem (complete heart) is finally a reality.  If you are interested in previewing the book, the easiest way to do so is to Google “Machzor Lev Shalem.” The editors write:

Mahzor Lev Shalem was composed and edited with a conscious awareness of the diverse backgrounds and expectations in each of our communities and, as such, it promises to open doors for every congregant. For the congregant who is familiar with the tefillah, the mahzor’s running commentary presents both a historical overview and insight into the meaning of prayers. For the congregant who doesn’t know Hebrew, the English translations are close to the meaning of the original and the transliterations are plentiful. For the seeker who comes to services looking for meaning and direction, the mahzor’s rich ­assortment of readings includes classic piyyutim that appear in Conservative publications for the first time; Hasidic stories and reflections; and quotes from Abraham Joshua Heschel, Martin Buber, contemporary Israeli and American poets, and leading rabbis in the Conservative movement and beyond.

In cooperation with the Cantors Assembly, the Rabbinical Assembly collaborated to commission new musical works for the machzor.  Ten composers who are part of the Conservative movement were asked to write new melodies for the High Holidays, including Craig Taubman, Josh Nelson, Gerald Cohen, Brian Gelfand, David Burger, and…your own Hazzan! At the beginning of last month, I was part of a very special concert at New York’s Park Avenue Synagogue to debut the new music, which I have made available to you at the synagogue website.  My fellow composers wrote new tunes to Hayom, V’al Kulam Eloah S’lichot, Hayom Harat Olam, Rachamana, Ki Hiney KaChomer and others.  My two pieces are “B’sefer Chayyim” and “Luleh He’emanti,” recorded with our own Jeremy Shanas and Eli Palnick, otherwise known as the Northwoods (RFT’s best new band of St. Louis 2009).  The first piece, B’sefer Chayyim, implores God to write us in the book of life, blessing, sustenance, and peace.  The second piece, Luleh He’emanti, comes from the Psalm we say every day between the first of Elul and Shemini Atzeret – Psalm 27 – that ends with the words: Mine is the faith that I will surely see God’s goodness in the land of the living.  Hope in God and be strong.

The new music was commissioned to breathe new life into the ancient words of our Machzor, recently renewed with contemporary commentary and poetry.  We were asked to write accessible congregational melodies that would both be fresh and new, yet reflect the spirit and sound of the High Holidays.  I commend the Rabbinical Assembly and their Machzor committee on finishing this formidable project.  The decision to forge a creative partnership with the Cantors Assembly to commission new music should also be commended, and encouraged for the future.  If our movement is going to be strengthened further, it is because of these types of partnerships “across the bima” and across organizations to create new and exciting opportunities for creative expression. It is my hope that this type of creative collaboration will continue, and it was my privilege to have been part of it.

May the onset of summer be full of new possibilities for us all!