The Threshing Floor
congregationbethaverim.org
Atlanta, Georgia
Rabbi Joshua Lesser
About The Threshing Floor
In the Bible, the threshing floor was a place that drew people together. Villagers brought their crops to this circle of packed earth or paving stones at harvest to separate the grain from the chaff. The threshing floor was the setting for many of life’s most important cycles and several biblical stories. More than just an everyday place, the threshing floor transformed over time into something sacred: King David purchased one in Jerusalem to serve as a sacred altar, which became the foundation for the first Temple.
Our music, like the threshing floor, draws our loving community near to be nourished by the work of so many of its talented members. And like the transformation of King David’s floor into a sacred space, the music of Congregation Bet Haverim uplifts seemingly commonplace or secular pieces, uncovering their inner spiritual depth and holiness.
The threshing floor is a fitting metaphor for Congregation Bet Haverim. Like other Reconstructionist Jewish communities, we wrestle with our traditions in an ongoing effort to separate what remains meaningful from that which no longer serves us. This is an evolving process, like the synagogue itself, which was founded by a small group of gay and lesbian Jews. Bet Haverim, or “house of friends,” is now a diverse community embracing all Jews and their loved ones, committed to innovations built upon solid Jewish traditions and values.
This CD, our second collection, offers Jewish music from distant lands and times alongside works from other traditions and songs composed and arranged by members of our own chorus. Feed your soul on Jewish music from the Mediterranean, India, Eastern Europe and Uganda, as well as inventive renditions of psalms and festival liturgies. The life rhythms of The Threshing Floor beat with a blues adaptation of Lamentations, Hasidic and poetic love songs and a stirring arrangement of an REM song. And The Threshing Floor makes cross-cultural connections as it explores the centrality of liberation through song. This is a harvest of music that pulses through you, leaving your soul bare like a stalk of wheat after the wind has carried off the chaff.
-
In Gratitude
Thank you first and foremost to Congregation Bet Haverim for being our spiritual community that nurtures, challenges and inspires. Thanks to so many of you for your participation, support and belief in the music of CBH: Rabbi Joshua Lesser, the excellent all-volunteer chorus and instrumentalists of CBH, the Wednesday morning chant group, the music committee, the CBH Board of Directors, Sue and Don Emerich in honor of Dorothy Severson, Gib Geurin in honor of Dorothy Geurin, Lynne Norton, Robert Fillipo, Kristen Strezo, Laurie Price, Jonathan Hillyer, Sarah Zaslaw, Susan Kupferberg, Sherry Thacker, Diana and Laurie Robins, Ellie McGraw, Tobi Ames, Avrum Weiss, Amy, Noa and Levi Robertson who shared their home and “Dad” with this project, Michael Levine, Clay Cook, 800 East, Marty Kearns, Ken Gregory, Brian Ashmead, Juliana Finch, Central Congregational UCC (CCUCC) in Atlanta. We admire and are boggled by Will Robertson’s many gifts and feel blessed that he shares these so generously with CBH. Special thanks to Beverly Blouin, who gave the CBH Chorus wings and elevated us to be who we are today.
This entire disc reflects the ear of CBH’s devoted ingatherer and gleaner of songs, Gayanne Geurin Weiss, who separates the musical wheat from the chaff.
We have been inspired by the beautiful arrangements of the following artists and adapted music from their recordings to incorporate into the worship of Congregation Bet Haverim: Rahel Musleah (Hon Tahon), Voice of the Turtle (Ken Es Akeyo de la Meniana), Mavis Staples (On My Way), Rabbi Andrew Hahn (Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu), Yofiyah (Dodi Li), Gerard Edery (Adon Haselichot), Irene Orleansky (Karev Yom), the Klezmer Conservatory Band (Meron Niggun), the Weavers (Follow the Drinking Gourd) and SAVAE (Birkat Cohanim).
Produced, mixed and mastered by Will Robertson
Additional engineering by Michael Levine, Tim Anderson, Charlie Garcia, Guy Strauss and Robert Fillipo
Recorded at Gallop Studios (Tucker, Ga.), 800 East (Atlanta) and CCUCC (Atlanta)
Artwork and layout by Laurie Price
Photography by Jonathan Hillyer
Online liner notes by Sarah Zaslaw
-
The Musicians of Congregation Bet Haverim
Music director: Gayanne Geurin Weiss
Chorus director: Will Robertson
Chorus
Sopranos |
Altos
|
Tenors |
Basses |
Vocal Soloists
Gayanne Geurin Weiss – Dodi Li, Hon Tahon, Adon Haselichot, Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu, Ken Es Akeyo de la Meniana/Wayfaring Stranger, Sweetness Follows
Brad Davidorf – Adon Haselichot, Psalm 136, Misheberach
Will Robertson – On My Way, Sitting in the Dirt, Follow the Drinking Gourd
Danielle Sansone – Karev Yom
Ned Bridges – Follow the Drinking Gourd
Bill Witherspoon – Ken Es Akeyo de la Meniana/Wayfaring Stranger
Ellie McGraw – Adon Haselichot
Instrumentalists
Sarah Zaslaw – violin, viola
Will Robertson – guitar, piano, mandolin, bouzouki, harmonium, bass
Jordan Dayan – bass
Mike Zimmerman – drum kit, kpanlogo, percussion
Joey Ziegler – djembe, cajón, percussion
Ruth Einstein – cello
Seyed Safavynia – violin (tracks 12–13)
David Borthwick – viola (tracks 12–13)
George Nicholson – bass (tracks 12–13)
Norman Joss – harmonica
Rich O’Dell – trumpet
Gayanne Geurin Weiss – tambourine
Alan Hymowitz – piano
|
1 |
|
|
Our CD opens with a celebration of open and joyous love: Song of Songs 2:16 as cited in the
Shabbat evening service. Music by Yofiyah,
arranged by Will Robertson. Yofiyah (also known as Susan Deikman)
melds Hindu-style call-and-responses with Hebrew words to create what she
calls kabbalistic
kirtan, “the intense devotional chanting of
simple Hebrew texts.” Her CDs include Kiss the Beloved and Open. “One may read the Songs of Songs as a poem reconciling disparate,
often polarized aspects of each human soul…. Male and female, maiden and
royalty, palace and field, blossom and fruit, animals, birds and plants all
draw into harmony on this day of inclusive, overflowing love and
self-acceptance.” — Sheila Peltz Weinberg in Kol Haneshamah
(the Reconstructionist siddur), p. 18. Performed by the Chorus of Congregation Bet Haverim; Sarah Zaslaw, violin; Mike Zimmerman, kpangolo;
Joey Ziegler, cajón; Jordan Dayan, bass; Will
Robertson, guitar, shaker. |
|
|
Dodi li va’ani lo Haro’eh bashoshanim Ani l’dodi v’dodi
li |
My beloved is mine and I am his The shepherd among the lilies I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine |
|
|
|
|
2
|
|
|
Traditional piyyut
sung the evening of Rosh Hashanah in the “Baghdadi” Jewish
community of India, which originated in Iraq and elsewhere in the late
18th century. Arranged by Will Robertson, inspired by Rahel
Musleah’s version on
her CD Hodu. Used by permission. Performed by the Chorus of Congregation Bet Haverim with Gayanne Geurin Weiss, vocal
soloist, tambourine; Sarah Zaslaw, violin; Mike Zimmerman, kpangolo,
wind chimes; Will Robertson, bouzouki, chime, bass. |
|
|
Hon tahon al vanecha l’cha shavim
Uv’fachad l’fanecha nitzavim
Yere’im et yikaru ladin ki al ken ba’u nichavim Zachor tizkor rachamim, yom hadin Hafer ka’as uze’amim et tadin
Lire’echa ul’choshvei shemecha hemah yoshvei al midin Karev li shnat go’el ufedeini
Al mei menuchot ha’el tancheini
Uzchor li zechut ish tam, al libecha kachotam simeini |
Have mercy on your children, who are returning to
you In fear they stand before you Awed, they call on You for judgment For they have come before you in anguish Remember to have mercy on the day of judgment Break the anger and fury at the time of judgment Set those who fear You and revere your name on the path to comfort Bring near the year of redemption, and save me Lead me upon the waters of tranquility And remember the merits of Jacob Upon your heart place me as a seal |
|
3 Adon Haselichot (Lord of
Forgiveness)
|
|
|
A traditional Sephardic piyyut
for the High Holiday penitential season. The text is a partial acrostic,
each phrase of the verse starting with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in
order (alef, bet, gimel,
etc.). Arranged by Will Robertson and Gayanne Geurin Weiss, inspired
by Gerard Edery’s version. Performed by Brad Davidorf, Ellie
McGraw and Gayanne Geurin
Weiss, vocal soloists; Will Robertson, guitar; Sarah Zaslaw,
viola; Mike Zimmerman, kpangolo. |
|
|
Adon haselichot Bochen levavot Goleh amukot Dover tzedakot Chatanu l’fanecha, rachem
aleinu Hadur b’nifla’ot Vatik b’nechamot Zocher brit amo Choker kelayot Chatanu l’fanecha, rachem
aleinu |
Ruler of forgiveness Examiner of hearts Revealer of depths Speaker of justice We have sinned before you;
have mercy upon us Majestic with wonders From times of old, comforting us Remembering the covenant with our
ancestors Weighing our insides We have sinned before you;
have mercy upon us |
|
4 Meron Niggun (Tune from Meron)
|
|
Instrumental. A chance for
the CBH Band to step out. Traditional Hasidic tune, adapted by Will Robertson from an
arrangement by Jeff Warschauer
recorded by the Klezmer
Conservatory Band. Published by Hasmode/BMI. Used by permission. The Hasidic community of Meron, near
the mystical center of Safed in northern Israel, is
known for its celebrations of Lag BaOmer
and is the source for this piece’s main tune, “Abu’s Courtyard.” On the eve of that springtime holiday,
Hasidic klezmer musicians start playing it “in the
courtyard of the Moroccan rabbinical Abu family in Safed. From the courtyard a mingled procession of
Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews, led by the [band], sets out, bearing a Torah
scroll, to the tomb of Rabbi Simeon bar Yohay
in Meron” (quoted from Yaacov
Mazor’s liner notes to Hassidic Tunes of Dancing and Rejoicing, Ethnic Folkways Records
FE 4209, © 1978). Performed by Will Robertson, mandolin and piano; Sarah Zaslaw, violin; Jordan Dayan, bass; Mike Zimmerman,
drums. |
|
5 Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu (Peace Will Come
To Us)
|
|
|
By Mosh
Ben Ari (Sheva). “Od Yavo
Shalom Aleinu” is also known as
“Salaam” (“peace” in Arabic). This
song became an Israeli hit and was adopted there and internationally as
something of an anthem by youth movements hopeful for Arab-Israeli
peace. Arranged by Gayanne
Geurin Weiss and Will Robertson, inspired by the
version of Rabbi Andrew Hahn,
“the kirtan rabbi.”
Used by permission. Performed by the Chorus of Congregation Bet Haverim with vocal
soloist Gayanne Geurin
Weiss; Sarah Zaslaw, violin; Jordan Dayan, bass;
Mike Zimmerman, drums; Joey Ziegler, hand drum; Will Robertson, guitar, shaker,
harmonium. |
|
|
Od yavo shalom aleinu
V’al kulam Salaam (shanti), aleinu v’al kol ha’olam
Salaam (shanti), shalom |
Peace will come to us And to everyone Peace upon us and all the world Peace, peace |
|
6 Solu, Solu (Build Up, Build
Up, Clear the Road)
|
|
|
Words from Isaiah chapter 57
(verses 14 and 19), in the haftarah portion read on
Yom Kippur. Music by Will Robertson. Amy and Will Robertson worked on this text together. Amy writes: “In a chapter that offers a
litany of ways in which Israel has gone astray—a litany of acts, past and
present, that stand between Israel and God—these verses are an
about-face. They say: Never mind what
the obstacles are, never mind what blocks the path to God. Whatever it is, our imperative is to clear
it off, to rebuild the path to God, to wholeness, to shalom, and to walk that
path, whether we are far or near.” Performed by the Chorus of Congregation Bet Haverim. |
|
|
Solu, solu panu darech Shalom, shalom larachok v’lakarov |
Build up, build up, clear the road Peace, peace to the far off and to the near |
|
7 |
|
|
Traditional song from the Passover Haggadah. Tune by the early Hasidic rabbi Reb
Nachman of Bratslav. Arranged by Will Robertson, inspired by Irene Orleansky’s version. This beautiful song speaks to Congregation Bet Haverim in
imagining the transformation of the ordinary into the mystical, beyond spoken
understanding. Sung by Danielle Sansone
with the Chorus of Congregation Bet Haverim; Sarah Zaslaw,
violin, viola; Will Robertson, guitar. |
|
|
Karev yom asher hu lo yom v’lo
laylah Ram hoda ki l’cha hayom af
l’cha halaylah Shomrim hafkid l’irchah,
kol hayom v’chol halaylah Ta’ir ke’or yom cheshkat laylah |
A day is coming that is neither day nor night Most high, let it be known that yours is the day and yours is the
night Place guards over your city all day and all night Lighten the darkness of the night with the light of day |
|
8
|
|
A Protest song from the Civil Rights Movement,
based on the African American spirituals “I’m On My Way to Canaan Land” and
“I’m Bound for the Promised Land.” Our arrangement (by Will Robertson) is
inspired by Mavis Staples’s recent rendition,
produced by Ry Cooder, on We’ll Never
Turn Back. At Congregation Bet Haverim, a southern synagogue only miles from
the spiritual home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Ebenezer Baptist Church,
this is one of several African American songs we sing particularly on Shabbat
Shirah to connect the African American struggle for freedom and rights with
both the ancient Israelites’ exodus from Egypt and LGBT strivings for full
rights today. As Mavis Staples says, “These songs are still needed today. I want the youth today to question these
songs and say, ‘Why is she singing this?’” Performed by Will Robertson, vocal soloist, guitar, shaker; the
Chorus of Congregation Bet Haverim; Joey Ziegler, cajón;
Mike Zimmerman, kpangolo; Jordan Dayan, bass. |
|
I’m on my way to freedom land I’m on my way to freedom land I’m on my way to freedom land I’m on my way, great God almighty I’m on my way I asked my brother, come go with me . . . I asked my sister, come go with me . . . If they won’t go, I’ll go alone . . . I’m on my way, great God almighty I’m on my way |
|
9 |
|
|
Psalm 136, sung in Luganda
and Hebrew. Music by J.J. Keki. Keki is a leader,
speaker and performer from the Abayudaya
Jews of Uganda, a small African Jewish community with a unique
history. The Abayudaya
(“People of Judah”) connect this psalm’s account of deliverance from
persecution with the downfall of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, who was chased
from the country before Passover of 1979. Performed by the Chorus of Congregation Bet Haverim with vocal
soloist Brad Davidorf; Joey Ziegler, kpangolo, shaker; Mike Zimmerman, drums, shaker; Jordan
Dayan, fretless electric bass; Sarah Zaslaw,
plucked violin; Guy Strauss and Gayanne Geurin Weiss, shakers; Will Robertson, guitar, shaker. |
|
|
Refrain: Kubanga okusaasira kwe kwa luberera Mumwebaze Adonai i, kubanga
mulungi Hodu l’elohey ha’elohim Mumwebze Adonai i w’abaami L’osey nifla’ot gedolot
levado Oyo eyakola eggulu
n’amagezi L’eroka ha’aretz al hamayim Oyo eyakola ebayka
ebikulu Et hashemesh l’memshelet
bayom Omwezi n’emmunyeenye okufuga
baabwe Shebeshiflenu zachar lanu N’aata bakabaka abaatiikirivu Vayifrekenu mitzareynu Adonai mulungi, adonai
mulungi |
Refrain: God’s love is
everlasting [Ki l’olam
chasdo] Acknowledge the Eternal, who is good Praise the God of all the gods Give thanks to the most powerful of powers Who alone performed great, wondrous deeds Maker of the heavens with sublime discernment Founder of the earth upon the waters Maker of the great light orbs Sunlight for dominion of the day Moon and stars to rule the night Who, amid our lowliness, remembered Who unyoked us from our troubles Who gives sustenance to all of flesh God is good, God is good |
|
10 |
|
|
This is a contemporary chant Gayanne Geurin Weiss heard another visitor sing at a retreat at Eilat
Chayyim in Connecticut. Gayanne
brought it back to Atlanta, where CBH’s weekly chant group has embraced
it. That’s all we know about it. Chanted here by Congregation Bet Haverim’s
Wednesday Morning Chant Group, led by Gayanne Geurin Weiss, who is also doing the drumming. |
|
|
L’olam va’ed
Yah yimloch l’olam
va’ed |
Forever God is eternal |
|
11 Tov L’Hodot (It Is a Good Thing to Give Thanks) |
|
|
Words from Psalm 92
in the Shabbat evening liturgy.
Traditional tune; four-part arrangement by Will Robertson and Gayanne Guerin Weiss.
“Psalm 92 has been associated with Shabbat since biblical
times. According to the midrash
[ancient interpretive commentary], Shabbat itself stood up and recited this
psalm at Creation, thus exulting in the role given it as the day of inner joy
for all of God’s creatures.” — Arthur Green, Kol Haneshamah (Reconstructionist siddur),
p. 48. Sung by the congregation and chorus of CBH, led by Gayanne Geurin Weiss. |
|
|
Tov l’hodot l’adonai
u’l’zamer l’shimcha elyon L’hagid baboker chasdecha
v’emunatecha baleylot Yai lai lai lai lai, etc. |
It is a good thing to give thanks to the Eternal To sing out to your name supreme To tell about your kindness in the morning And your faithfulness at night Yai lai lai lai lai, etc. |
|
12 Nishmat Kol Chai (The Soul of Every
Living Thing) |
|
|
Ancient blessing found in the Shabbat and festival morning
liturgy as well as the Passover Haggadah. Music composed by Will Robertson. Used by permission. In Will’s setting, the chorus evokes the
sunrise and the descending piano notes represent slumber falling away. “Nishmat [Kol
Chai] is the song of the wave awakening to the ocean, seeing that the wave is
the ocean and the ocean the wave, recognizing the interdependence of all
things and discovering the awesome wonder that is our reality.” — Rami M.
Shapiro, Kol Haneshamah
(Reconstructionist siddur), p. 234. Performed by the Chorus of Congregation Bet Haverim; Seyed Safavynia and Sarah Zaslaw, violin; David Borthwick,
viola; Ruth Einstein, cello; George Nicholson, bass; Alan Hymowitz,
piano; Will Robertson, conductor. |
|
|
Nishmat kol chai T’varech et shimcha Adonai eloheinu |
The soul of every living thing Shall bless your name Eternal One, our God |
|
13 |
|
|
The fifth of the Five Hebrew Love
Songs by the wife-and-husband team of Hila Plitmann
(lyrics) and Eric Whitacre
(music). © Walton Music Corp. Used by permission. String quintet accompaniment arranged by
David Borthwick.
Performed by the Chorus of Congregation Bet Haverim; Seyed Safavynia and Sarah Zaslaw, violin; David Borthwick,
viola; Ruth Einstein, cello; George Nicholson, bass; Will Robertson,
conductor. |
|
|
Hu hayah maleh
rakut Hi haytah kashah V’chol kama shenista
l’hisha’er kach, Pashut, uvli sibah tovah, Lakach otah el toch
atzmo, V’heni’ach Bamakom hachi, hachi
rach |
He was full of tenderness; She was very hard And as much as she tried to stay thus, Simply, and with no good reason, He took her into himself, And set her down In the softest, softest place |
|
14 Misheberach for Healing (Call and Response) |
|
|
Traditional Jewish blessing.
Music composed by Brad Davidorf. Used by permission. Misheberachs are traditional prayers for various circumstances and life cycle
events. (“Mi sheberach”
means “the one who blessed,” as in, “May the one who blessed our ancestors
also bless so-and-so.”) At
Congregation Bet Haverim, before a communal misheberach
those present may speak aloud the names of loved ones in need of
healing. Brad Davidorf says: “I believe that the power of community is strongest when we focus
the energy of every individual, if even for a moment, on a single purpose.
In uniting our voices to pray for a healing of the body and spirit of
someone who is ill in our midst, we vibrate the fabric of life like nothing
else can.” Sung by Brad Davidorf and the Chorus of
Congregation Bet Haverim. |
|
|
Refrain: Misheberach Mi sheberach avoteinu
avraham, yitzhak v’yaakov V’imoteinu sarah, rivkah, rachel v’leah Hu yevarech virafeh
et hacholeh Yiten adonai chochma
v’tushiyah b’lev harofeh V’yishlach refu’ah shlemah Refu’at hanefesh v’refuat
haguf Yosif adonai lo shnot chayim
v’shalom L’hodot u’l’halel larofeh
hane’eman v’harachaman V’nomar amen. |
Refrain: Misheberach May the one who blessed our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob Our mothers Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah Bless and heal the ailing May the physician have wisdom and sound judgment for alleviating
pain and suffering And may the sufferer be thoroughly healed in spirit and in body May he have many more
years of life and health For giving thanks and praise to the all-merciful and faithful
Healer, for a length of days And let us say: Amen. |
|
15 Ken Es Akeyo de la Meniana / Wayfaring Stranger (Who Is This of a
Morning / Wayfaring Stranger) |
|
|
“Ken Es Akeyo
de la Meniana” is a traditional Sephardic song (Ladino
poetry set to a Balkan tune); we learned it from a recording by Voice of the Turtle. “Wayfaring Stranger” is a traditional
American song that exists in several variants. Gayanne Geurin Weiss noticed the similarity between these two sad
tunes and asked Will Robertson to realize this arrangement for CBH’s Tisha B’Av service in 2009.
This interweaving also reflects the way we engage music at
Congregation Bet Haverim. These two
songs come from different cultures: one from the southern United States, our
home; the other from a global Jewish community with roots in the past,
Sephardic Spain. Combined they take on
a new meaning, a reconstructed story of grief and longing. (The last two verses of “Ken Es Akeyo de la Meniana” speak to
this sadness. They are not sung in
this rendition but are added here in translation for the poetry of the piece:
“If my heart had a window allowing a view, fields and vineyards would awaken
to see my great pain. Goodbye, my
love; goodbye, my beloved; goodbye, sun and moon; goodbye, my heart.”) Sung by Bill Witherspoon and Gayanne Geurin Weiss; with Will Robertson, guitar; Ruth Einstein,
cello; Sarah Zaslaw, violin. |
|
|
Ken es akeyo
do la meniana ken al’ombra kantamos O son las ’streyas
de la meniana o son los ojos del mi amor No son las ’streyas
de la meniana i no son los ojos del mi amor O es esto un verjel verdi ke arelumbra me korason I am a poor wayfaring stranger Traveling through this world of woe Yet there’s no sickness, toil nor danger To that bright world to which I go I know dark clouds will gather round me I know my way is rough and steep But golden fields lay out before me Where God’s redeemed shall ever weep I’m going back to see my mother I’m going back no more to roam I’m just a-goin’ over Jordan I’m just a-goin’ over home |
Who is this of a morning to whose shadow we sing? Perhaps the morning stars, or the eyes of my beloved? It is not the morning stars nor the eyes of my love Is it a green orchard that illuminates my heart? |
|
16 |
|
In 2008 Congregation Bet Haverim’s
rabbi, Joshua Lesser, asked Will Robertson
to write this as a contemporary kinah
for Tisha B’Av.
Tisha B’Av is the fast day originally
mourning the ancient destruction of Jerusalem. The words here were inspired by the first
chapter of Lamentations.
And the music? The blues—an authentic American form of
lament. Used by permission. Performed by Will Robertson, vocals and guitar; Gayanne Geurin Weiss,
background vocals; Norman Joss, harmonica. |
|
You’re all alone Crying in the night Can’t find no comfort Anywhere in sight There’s tears in your eyes There’s blood on your skirt Nothing in your hands Sitting in the dirt It’s hard to believe That you could fall so far From the princess you were To the beggar you are Everyone you loved All your possessions on this earth God took them away And left you sitting in the dirt And I heard you say, “How long will it take me To learn to do without? I thought you loved me Who’s gonna help me now?” Your cleanest white dress It's just a rag full of holes You're weeping and moaning for God to save your soul Where did you go Who did you hurt What did you do That left you sitting in the dirt? |
|
17 |
|
Song composed by Bill Berry, Michael Stipe, Mike Mills, Peter
Buck. This song is published by
Warner-Tamerlane Pub. Obo Night Garden Music and displayed here with
permission. All rights reserved. Our arrangement is by Will Robertson. This REM song is an example of secular, non-Jewish music that
Congregation Bet Haverim has adopted for religious purposes. In 2009 we used it both in a Shabbat
evening service (to celebrate slowing down and living life with joy and
wonder on the Sabbath) and at the end of an intense Tisha B’Av
service (to reassure us that after hardship comes sweetness). Sung by Gayanne Geurin
Weiss with the Chorus of Congregation Bet Haverim; Will Robertson, guitar,
background vocals; Sarah Zaslaw, violin; Ruth
Einstein, cello. |
|
Readying to bury your father and your mother What did you think when you lost another? I used to wonder why did you bother Distanced from one, blind to the other Listen here, my sister and my brother What would you care if you lost the other? I always wonder why did we bother, Distanced from one, blind to the other Oh, oh, but sweetness follows It’s these little things, they can pull you under Live your life filled with joy and wonder I always knew this altogether thunder Was lost in our little lives Oh, oh, but sweetness follows It’s these little things, they can pull you under Live your life filled with joy and thunder Yeah, yeah, we were altogether Lost in our little lives Oh, oh, but sweetness follows |
|
18
|
|
|
Words from Psalm 91:15. Music by Will Robertson. First sung at Congregation Bet Haverim’s Yom Kippur services in 2009. Used by permission. Performed by the Chorus of Congregation Bet Haverim. |
|
|
Yikraeni v’eneihu Imo anochi v’tzarah |
He calls to me; I answer him I am with him in times of trouble |
|
19 Yihyu L’Ratzon (May the Words of
My Mouth) |
|
|
Words from Psalm 19:15. Music from Sacred Service (Avodath Hakodesh) by Ernest Bloch (1880-1959). Bloch was a Swiss-born composer who wrote
several Jewish-themed works and lived out his final decades in the United
States. Performed by the Chorus of Congregation Bet Haverim. |
|
|
Yihyu l’ratzon imrei
fi V’hegyon libi l’fanecha
Adonai tsuri v’go’ali Amen |
May the words of my mouth And the meditation of my heart Be acceptable before you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer Amen |
|
20 Birkat Cohanim (Priestly
Benediction) |
|
|
This famous blessing, known as the Priestly Benediction
or Aaronic Blessing, comes from the Torah—Numbers 6:22-27. Music by Suzanne Haik-Vantoura (under
the title “Bircath Cohenim”)
based on her interpretation of ancient Torah markings, adapted by Christopher
Moroney of the San Antonio Vocal Arts Ensemble (SAVAE). “Bircath Cohenim” tr. and arr. Christopher Moroney,
tr. and arr. © 2002 World Library Publications, Franklin Park, Ill. www.wlpmusic.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Our version is arranged by Will
Robertson. Performed by the Chorus of Congregation Bet Haverim. |
|
|
Yevarechecha adonai v’yishmerecha Ya’er adonai panav
elecha vichuneka Yisa adona panav elecha v’yasem l’cha shalom |
May God bless you and keep you May God shine God’s face upon you and be
gracious to you May God lift up God’s face toward you and grant you peace |
|
21 |
|
Traditional African American folk song, arranged by Will Robertson, inspired by the Weavers’ version. The “drinking gourd” is the Big Dipper, the constellation that
guided escaped slaves northward to freedom in the era of the Underground
Railroad. (The precise origin of
“Follow the Drinking Gourd” is unclear. Compare this
standard explanation of the lyrics with this qualification of the
timeline.) At CBH we sing “Follow the
Drinking Gourd” on Shabbat Shirah to connect three great struggles for full
freedom and dignity: that of African Americans in this country, that of the
ancient Israelite slaves fleeing Egypt in the Book of Exodus, and that of
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender folks everywhere today. Performed by the Chorus of Congregation Bet Haverim with vocal
soloists Will Robertson and Ned Bridges; Sarah Zaslaw,
violin; Mike Zimmerman, drums; Jordan Dayan, bass; Will Robertson, guitar. |
|
Follow the drinking gourd Follow the drinking gourd For the old man is a-waiting for to carry you to freedom Follow the drinking gourd When the sun comes back and the first quail calls Follow the drinking gourd For the old man is a-waiting for to carry you to freedom Follow the drinking gourd Well the riverbank makes a mighty good road The dead trees will show you the way Left foot, peg foot, traveling on Follow the drinking gourd Where the great big river meets the little river Follow the drinking gourd For the old man is a-waiting for to carry you to freedom Follow the drinking gourd |