Music
Singing is a Mitzvah
I have been hiding from the audience my entire life. I am not sure if this is because I have ...
Rabbi Composes A New Torah
Imagine the uproar that would happen if a rabbi said that he or she composed a new Torah. The rabbi ...
The Jewish Banjo
In this season of Thanksgivukkah, I’ve started to think a lot about cultural syncretism. I’ve come to the conclusion that, ...
Entering the ‘Ritual Lab’: the purpose of creative services
During my first year with a new congregation, I’ve been offering a creative service slot once a month. Borrowing the ...
On “Hava Nagila”
I am a music snob. People know this about me, and I deserve the title. I have said hurtful things ...
Shofar? So Good, Y’all!
Sometimes, in a small Southern town, you might not hear the call of the shofar outside of High Holy Day ...
Passing the Mantle of the Sixties
Last year I was chatting with a member of my congregation over bagels with our Tot Shabbat families. She mentioned ...
Rock and Roll
This is a guest post by Rabbi Darby Leigh.It was 1984 when Dee Snider first asked me what I wanted ...
Orthodox Black Rapper Celebrates life out of the Closet
“Last Shabbos, because of me more people were talking about gay rights around the the Shabbes table, and it’s a ...
The Secret Code of “Hava Negilah”
“Hava Nagila“ (Hebrew: הבה נגילה ) (lit. “Let us rejoice”) is a Hebrew folk song that has become a staple ...