British Jewish scholar Israel Abrahams wrote in his 1920 book, “Poetry and Religion,” that “The individual may pray in prose or even in wordless silence; a congregation must sing or disband.”
Congregation Sinai is in no danger of disbanding, but it has undertaken new efforts to encourage congregants’ to sing during High Holidays services.
Cantor Ruth Berman Harris had been receiving complaints from some Sinai congregants about their inability to sing some of the important prayers.
“They felt a little bit frustrated because they didn’t remember the melodies from one year to another,” she said. “They feel it is the hardest time to participate because they can’t sing the melodies.”
And that’s not just a problem for those congregants. “For me as a cantor to feel that I’m capable of elevating the prayers of the community,” Harris said, “I need to feel we’re connected, that we’re praying together.”
So Harris decided to make a CD recording of some of the highlights of the service music and to send it to all Sinai members. That way they could become familiar enough with the melodies to sing along at the coming High Holidays services.
For such an educational purpose, it might have been enough to record Harris singing to a simple piano or guitar accompaniment. But even though the CD, titled “B’Rosh HaShanah,” is not intended for public sale, Harris decided to record the tunes in more elaborate arrangements.
When asked why she did that, Harris said she had several reasons: Congregants will be better able to listen to the melodies in their cars or at home. Members who can’t come to services will be able “to have a little of the High Holidays feeling at home.”
She also wanted to work with a musician friend from Argentina, Damian Hemquin. “We speak the same prayerful musical language,” she said.
And not least, she did it because she enjoyed it. “It was wonderful.”
So Hemquin worked on the arrangements in his studio in Argentina, having many telephone conversations with Harris.
When he was finished, Hemquin e-mailed the arrangements to Harris, who took them to Milwaukee’s Remote Planet Studio, where she added her voice.
Harris also had Debra Katz read English translations of the prayers at different points in the recording. “I wanted people to really understand what the prayer is about, not only the melody but the content.” The booklet with each CD also contains translations and transliterations of all the prayers.
The cost was underwritten by the Marc Flesch Memorial Foundation, created by Sinai congregants Ellen and Jim Flesch in memory of their son.
Since it has been sent to Sinai members, Harris said she has received many messages from people who “loved it,” some of whom wanted to obtain more.”
The positive responses were so encouraging that Harris is now thinking about making another CD next year containing melodies for Sabbath prayers.
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