SEPHARDIC HERITAGE Brooklyn’s Revival of Baqashot Until now, the Bet Ades Synagogue was one of the only places in the world that was still doing Baqashot on a weekly basis David M. Betesh Continued on page 00 SEPHARDIC HERITAGE Continued from page 00 Rabbi El.i J. Mansour Congregation Bet Yaakob chain; each generation is like a link munity, need to return to the prac- round. On behalf of our community, of that chain, and with one weak tice of Baqashot each Shabbat; at the words Hazzaq U’Baruch can’t link, the entire chain will break. Each least throughout the winter months even begin to express our grati- generation, collectively, needs to be (which is the original practice). I am tude, appreciation, and admiration responsible for the next. not saying that it has to be a four for his incredible diligence and zeal 2011 (5771) has been a great hour event beginning at 3 am, but it as he maintains our community’s year for the revival of Baqashot should be a weekly event. traditions . in the Brooklyn community. During I am very happy to acknowledge In the 1980’s and 1990’s, one of this year, I am happy to report that Congregation Bet Yaakob, the only places in the world that was that Baqashot have taken place under the leadership of Rabbi Eli J. still doing Baqashot on a weekly each Shabbat in both: Brooklyn, Mansour, has been the first congre- basis was the Bet Ades Synagogue. as well as Jerusalem. Whereas the gation in our community to revive I went twice; once for my bar mitz- Bet Ades Synagogue in Jerusalem the sacred ancient tradition of week- vah in 1997, and then again for my has maintained Baqashot each ly Baqashot sessions, which have brother Morris’s bar mitzah in 2003. Shabbat since before World War been taking place every Shabbat As much as I love traveling to Israel I, the Brooklyn Syrian community beginning at 6:30 am at (at the old and attending the Ades Synagogue has revived the tradition after a long building of Ahaba VeAhva). The each Shabbat for Baqashot, it can hiatus. Baqashot, throughout this year, get a bit expensive for a New Yorker As recorded on the pizmonim. have been led mainly by Cantor like me. That got me thinking; there’s com bulletin board, this year, special Menahem Mustacci accompanied got to be a cheaper way. Baqashot events took place in the by his son, Moshe Mustacci. The Now there is. If you live in following synagogues for one or two Baqashot lasts an hour and fifteen Brooklyn, I invite you to join us at special occasions: Congregation minutes. Congregation Bet Yaakob (in the Ahi Ezer, Congregation Shaare It is true that we don’t get through old Ahaba VeAhva building) every Zion, Congregation Ahaba VeAhva, all 66 songs on any given Shabbat Shabbat at 6:30 am. If you live too Congregation Beth Torah, Sephardic due to the time constraints. If we are far away and cannot attend, please Synagogue (Avenue R), the Avenue lucky, we get through 15-20 of them; visit pizmonim.com (weekdays only) O Synagogue, and Congregation which is a lot better than none of to listen to the many recordings of Magen David of West Deal. (I apolo- them. Each Shabbat, 25-40 people Baqashot that are featured on the gize to any synagogue that has attend the Baqashot, and this num- website. been omitted from this short list.) ber has been growing since the The chain needs to be strong, These events were important to beginning of the year when the pro- and it is my fervent hope that we are raise the awareness of this tradition, gram started. I consider Menahem successful at linking this tradition to but in my opinion, a once a year Mustacci, the leader of the Baqashot the next generation. event, is not enough to maintain revival. Every Shabbat morning he the entire tradition. The only way walks miles and miles from his David M Betesh, a contributing writer to to learn these songs is through house to Congregation Bet Yaakob, IMAGE Magazine, is the founder of the Sephardic Pizmonim Project. To read his pre- weekly repetition, and this leads and then to his weekly synagogue vious articles or to listen to recordings of the me to my next point: we, as a com- where he officiates as Hazzan, year Baqashot, visitpizmonim.com..