This Biennial was special to me for many reasons. First and foremost, it marked the 10th year since my national debut in Jewish music (the 1999 URJ Biennial held in Orlando, FL). I also got to play opening night with my dear friend, Julie Silver, and my beloved bandmates who traveled a long day to do our show that night.
Since 2001, I have worked the Biennials as a guitarist in the house band playing for Shabbat services and songsessions. It gives me a unique insight into how a massive endeavor like this comes together. I appreciate the tons of work and thought that go into each decision; all made by a very talented group of clergy and other professionals who all have very strong convictions and directives. Although I do not necessarily agree with all of the musical decisions that were made for this conference, I can appreciate the process that they went through to arrive at the decisions they did.
In 1999, Rabbi Eric Yoffie spoke very strongly about how worship needed to be musically engaging and not a spectator sport. The conventions since then have definitely put that sentiment at the forefront and the services have reflected that very strongly. I am not sure that that was the case in all services for this convention--feedback from "participants" lead me to believe that some of them felt left out of the worship experience.
We cannot, under any circumstance, ever move backward on this point. Our congregants need to feel engaged and vital to the experience of communal prayer. There also have to be cantorial moments when the worshipper can retreat and listen and have the service wash over them, but those moments cannot dominate the service. Our culture has become too fast-paced and impatient to keep worshippers out of the loop for too long. For better or for worse, that's where we are and we have to adapt or risk losing them.
On a completely different note, I had some wonderful conversations with friends I really needed to catch up with and am grateful for rekindled relationships that only a Biennial could have fostered. The reconnections have filled me up with good vibes and hope and have inspired me to forge ahead with all of my endeavors and dreams.
If you have never experienced a Jewish convention of this magnitude, you must, at least once. It is very powerful and unlike anything else. I hope to see you at the next one--Washington DC, I believe--2011.
Since 2001, I have worked the Biennials as a guitarist in the house band playing for Shabbat services and songsessions. It gives me a unique insight into how a massive endeavor like this comes together. I appreciate the tons of work and thought that go into each decision; all made by a very talented group of clergy and other professionals who all have very strong convictions and directives. Although I do not necessarily agree with all of the musical decisions that were made for this conference, I can appreciate the process that they went through to arrive at the decisions they did.
In 1999, Rabbi Eric Yoffie spoke very strongly about how worship needed to be musically engaging and not a spectator sport. The conventions since then have definitely put that sentiment at the forefront and the services have reflected that very strongly. I am not sure that that was the case in all services for this convention--feedback from "participants" lead me to believe that some of them felt left out of the worship experience.
We cannot, under any circumstance, ever move backward on this point. Our congregants need to feel engaged and vital to the experience of communal prayer. There also have to be cantorial moments when the worshipper can retreat and listen and have the service wash over them, but those moments cannot dominate the service. Our culture has become too fast-paced and impatient to keep worshippers out of the loop for too long. For better or for worse, that's where we are and we have to adapt or risk losing them.
On a completely different note, I had some wonderful conversations with friends I really needed to catch up with and am grateful for rekindled relationships that only a Biennial could have fostered. The reconnections have filled me up with good vibes and hope and have inspired me to forge ahead with all of my endeavors and dreams.
If you have never experienced a Jewish convention of this magnitude, you must, at least once. It is very powerful and unlike anything else. I hope to see you at the next one--Washington DC, I believe--2011.