HOLY BLOSSOM TEMPLE Bulletin December 2012 The Fine Arts Express your Jewish Self Festival of Lights Friday Dec 14, 2012 at 4:30 p.m. The entire congregation is invited to our multigenerational Chanukah party. Enjoy live music, dreidel games, story telling and latkes with all the trimmings. Bring your own Chanukiyah and we will light the candles together. Tot Shabbat and Kabbalat Shabbat services with our own Neginah Band will follow at 6 p.m. Saturday Dec 15, 2012 at 10:30 a.m. Congregation-wide service with special guest, Rabbi Noam Katz, Dean of Jewish Living for Camp George and the Leo Baeck Day School. Songs of Shabbat and Chanukah will raise up our voices – both young and old. Creative learning programs for our children will be incorporated throughout the morning. A special invitation goes out to our young families. A Chanukah lunch for all to enjoy. There are many HBT celebrations throughout the days and nights of Chanukah. Visit holyblossom.org for details. HOLY BLOSSOM TEMPLE 7 Bulletin 5 CONTENTS Hiddur Mitzvah: The Aesthetics of Mitzvot 4 Art in Synagogue Music 5 A Stagecraft Family within the Temple 6 The Secret Life of a Holy Roller 7 Our Artist in Residence 8 Our Shinshin Artist in Residence 9 9 The Intersection of Art and Judaism 10 A contemporary, Canadian Jewish musical voice 12 art about us 13 A spiritual home for our members 14 10 Our Congregational Appeal Donors: Thank You 16 Our Congregational Family 20 Holy Blossom Calendar 23 3 13 Cover photo: Temple Players: 1959 Want to share a comment about the Bulletin? Email Robert Carnevale at [email protected]. Hiddur Mitzvah: The Aesthetics of Mitzvot Rabbi Yael Splansky [email protected] Our Sages often ask: “What is the minimum mezuzah casings on our doorposts, our upcoming requirement in order to fulfill this mitzvah?” A Chanukah festivities,. These beautiful foods and sukkah must be at least large enough for one ritual objects serve a sacred purpose: reciprocity person to sit at a table and eat a meal. A kiddush of beauty through mitzvot. That is, a Jew cup must be large enough to hold at least four becomes beautiful as she or he performs a mitzvah and a half ounces of wine. Chanukah wicks must intended to “beautify God’s glory.” burn for at least thirty minutes. These minimum requirements were clarified in order to keep Jewish life livable for the poor and to remind a Jew becomes beautiful everyone of the essence of each mitzvah. At the as she or he performs a mitzvah same time, a life of mitzvot should be celebrated intended to “beautify God’s glory” in such a way as to delight the senses. Beautiful sounds, pleasing fragrances, delicious tastes, attractive textures, colors, and artistry transform Always careful to fill form with substance, Holy the mitzvot into Jewish expressions of joy and Blossom Temple devotes time and effort to honour; and beauty itself takes on a religious Hiddur Mitzvah in countless ways. Beautiful dimension. The principle of enhancing a music fills our sanctuaries and concert halls. mitzvah through aesthetics is called Hiddur Words of poetry and fine literature are enjoyed Mitzvah. around study tables. Dramatic expressions of the Jewish experience are told by Stagecraft, our own Rabbi Ishmael comments on the verse, “This is in-house theatre troupe. Inspiring architecture my God and I will glorify Him” (Exodus 15:2). and works of art are created by silver smiths, “Is it possible for a human being to add glory to scribes, woodworkers, and textile artists. The Creator the Universe? (No,) What this really means is: I shall glorify God in the way in which Always mindful of fulfilling form with substance, I perform mitzvot. I shall prepare before God a Holy Blossom Temple devotes time and effort beautiful lulav, beautiful sukkah, beautiful tzitzit, to Hiddur Mitzvah in countless ways. Beautiful and beautiful tefillin.” (Midrash Mechilta, Shirata music fills our sanctuaries and concert halls. 3) The Talmud adds to this list “a beautiful shofar Words of poetry and fine literature are enjoyed and a beautiful Torah scroll, which is written around study tables. Dramatic expressions of the by a skilled scribe with fine ink and fine pen and Jewish experience are told by Stagecraft, our own wrapped in beautiful silks.” (Shabbat 133b) in-house theatre troupe. Inspiring architecture and works of art, created by silver smiths, scribes, woodworkers, and textile artists are displayed a life of mitzvot should be in every corner of our building. The walls of our school wing also come to life with the 4 celebrated in such a way as masterpieces of our children and teens. to delight the senses As Chanukah approaches, let’s delight in the Mitzvah of bringing more beauty and light to Think of all the ways we add to this list as well. Gods world, and thereby, become ourselves a Just look at our Shabbat and Seder tables, the more beautiful source of light. Reflections Holy Blossom Temple Art in Synagogue Music Cantor Benjamin Z. Maissner [email protected] “I will sing unto God while I am alive, I will sing praises to my God while I endure.” ~ Psalm 104 “Worship the Lord with Happiness, come before God with Gladness.” ~ Psalm 100 “My soul blesses you My God, and let all my innermost being bless the Holy Name.” ~ Psalm 103 How else can we approach the sacred task of our Temple Singers. In order to continue this “HIDUR MIZVAH”, the beautification of the sacred legacy we need you and every music lover commandment of Prayer? Moses taught us the out there. We need young and new people to Torah through “The SONG” - HASHIRAH strengthen our musical forces. I personally invite HAZOT”. The Talmud describes the duty of anyone interested, regardless of age or musical the Levites as: “Dibru et ha- Shir.” Melody and background to join us in this endeavor. We words of prayer were transformed into worship. engage not only in the musical end of our prayers Chronicles describes the First Temple’s services but dwell deep into the meaning of our sacred as overwhelmingly loud and boisterous. Later we liturgy. learn that the Second Temple’s ritual was virtually somber and tranquil. Today as in ancient times Newly Formed “NEGINAH BAND” the very essence of “Art” in Synagogue music are To enhance our Friday night vivacious Kabbalat the elements organized into a highly ritual format. Shabbat Services, we introduced a new Band We at Holy Blossom always had deep respect for made up of ten instrumentalists -- members of the preservation for the highest quality of our the congregation who love to play. What lively musical traditions. The centrality, history and sound and music-making mingled with the importance of music at our Temple accompany mystical text of welcoming the “Shabbat Bride.” every facet of our musical lives. Worship music Our Band plays every second Friday night of the has always rested upon the solid foundations, month. We invite anyone who plays a musical principles and authentic Chant, Cantillation and instrument to join us. Synagogue Prayer modes - “Nussach Hat’filah.” Musical Heritage Concert Series We practice with highest regard for the best of The passion, energy and resources invested into Jewish choral repertoire, from Ancient “MiSinai decades of the highest and most unique concert Tunes” to a warm comfort level of community series has made our congregation a “flagship” participation. in the movement on the subject of musical activities. Renowned and international artists and Our Worship Services performers have embraced our Sanctuary with Shabbat Festivals and High Holy Day experiences their unique talent. The attached brochure points are inspirationally immersed in the seriousness of clearly toward that goal. soaring music. We are grateful to our committed choristers both our Professional Choir mingled This year, as in the past, we walk that path 5 into one family with our cadre of volunteers, of passion for Jewish music in a most diverse the sweet Temple Singers. This community of program. Please help us to continue this legacy by music-making continues to enhance and uplift sponsoring, contributing and becoming part of our souls through every worship service. Over our community. And be uplifted and inspired the many decades we have taken great pride in by the power of music. Bulletin • December 2012 Musical Notes A Stagecraft Family within the Temple article by Judy Malkin [email protected] “Let’s pretend!” It’s what every kid does, right? But in my case, I never outgrew it. I was bitten by the acting bug in high school and appeared in two or three productions during those years. The university I went to had a strong drama department, and was home to a thriving community theatre, but I never had the Lcourage to audition. In the fall of 1994, an article in the Bulletin caught my eye. Several members of Temple had formed a drama group, and were reading a play. Anyone could join, so I made a phone call and went to the next reading. The play was Sholem Asch’s God of Vengeance, written in the 1920s and closed down after 8 performances because it was deemed too provocative. The play is a story of a man who runs a brothel and commissions a Torah scroll to be written, in the hope that the presence of the scroll in his home will keep his daughter safe and prevent her from entering the family business. That was the start of Stagecraft. We mounted one performance of God of Vengeance, and had a talk-back after the show, led by then-Senior Rabbi Dow Marmur.