I have always considered myself
somewhat musical although the only place that my singing has been good for is
the shower and the car. I haven’t picked up an instrument since learning to
play Maoz Tsur on the recorder when I was at Primary school and wouldn't exactly say I had ‘the voice’ However, in recent weeks I have been reminded
just how much I like music and that I used to spend every spare bit of cash I
had on CD’s.
A friend of ours who regularly is
in London on business and uses us as his base spent the evening with us several
weeks ago. We spent the evening reminiscing about songs from our late teens and
university years and singing at the top of our voices. It was the best evening I’ve
had in a while (which possibly says more about me than I’d care to admit!)
This Shabbat I am in West Wales.
I am currently looking out at the Irish Sea hoping to see an Orca or some sort
of wildlife that makes me feel that I am at the edge of the world. There is no
phone signal and the only connection with the outside world is wifi in a small
office which often has several people sitting in checking and responding to
emails. There is something great about being unconnected and as the drama of
the London Olympics begins it is quite nice to be far from the maddening crowd.
However, there is something
strange going on in this micro community that has been created and that it
music. Cantor Zoe Jacobs and the musical maestro that is Josh Nelson are
teaching a group of 60 teenagers how to song lead. Their enthusiasm and love
for music has affected all of us and will inspire approximately five hundred
young people who have chosen to have an RSY-Netzer summer. It has shown me that
you don’t have to be musical to be inspired. Music does do wonderful things for
people. Whether you are a One Direction or a Beethoven fan, the wonderful
things about music is that you get lost in it. It can make you happy, sad,
inspired, excited and wistful of the past, present and future. It is a mood
changer. A life time of my memories (and yours) is associated with music.
This Shabbat on RSY-Netzer we
have created a real moment. An opportunity to use our voices and rhythm to engage
and inspire and create moments in the lives of our participants. Josh Nelson sings
Dor V’ador, from generation to generation and today I have witnessed the
transmitting of Jewish music, its meaning and its memory making.
As Shabbat draws near and the
atmosphere on camp starts to change I find myself missing my boys singing Shalom
Aleichem. However, as my musical epiphany continues I find my soul warmed at
the fact that Shabbat angels are being sung a wonderful welcome all over the place!