Jewish Women and Jewish Music :( On the occasion of the Simchat HaBat Mitzvah of Chaya Robinson)

By:Cantor Sherwood Goffin

June 19, 2010

Traditionally, Jewish women of the past millennium had an influence on the musical practices of the home. Through lullabies, cradle songs and children’s melodies, the local culture in which they lived was incorporated into the Jewish heritage of their families by these melodies. These songs expressed hopes for their children’s future, and were usually sung to their infants and later, specifically to their daughters as they grew from childhood into maturity.

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WHY DON’T WE SING ANIM ZEMIROT?

By:Cantor Sherwood Goffin

June 12, 2010

As I wrote two weeks ago, certain concluding tefillot, such as Adon Olam, were added on at the end of the Shabbat davening partially because 19th century choir directors and cantors felt that they added a special “grand conclusion” to the prayer service. This was not unusual because there were already other similar “Shirei Yichud” that were added and were already customarily recited at the end, such as Anim Zemirot - known as the “Shir Hakavod, The Song of Glory.” They just added one more.

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Amein Before Shema

By:Cantor Sherwood Goffin

June 05, 2010

Recently we have noticed that people are starting to say the bracha of Habocher B'Amo Yisroel B'ahavah (before the recitation of the Shma) together with the chazzan. This is actually the minhag of Sefardim and some Ashkenazim who daven nusach Sefard - to complete the bracha with the Chazzan, in order to avoid a dispute of the Rishonim about interrupting between Birchos Krias Shema to answer Amein.

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Reading from the Text of the Torah and the Siddur

By:Cantor Sherwood Goffin

May 22, 2010

The Torah is called “Torah Shebichtav” – the written Torah, and it is therefore forbidden for the Torah Reader to read even one syllable without looking at the letters of the Torah. If he does so, even inadvertently, he must repeat that verse. 

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A LETTER I WROTE ABOUT MY STUDENT ELENA KAGAN, NOMINEE TO THE U.S. SUPREME COURT

By:Cantor Sherwood Goffin

May 15, 2010

This is the text of a letter I sent to the editor of the NY Times concerning an earlier Times article about Elena

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Shabbat Mevorchim Chodesh Sivan

By:Cantor Sherwood Goffin

May 08, 2010

 This Shabbat is the day that we bless the New Month of Sivan, within which is our very beloved holiday of Shavuot. In honor of this upcoming Chag, one of our Three Festivals – the Shalosh Regalim -  I will be including musical themes that refer to Shavuot as the holiday of “The Giving of the Torah.” While it is true that Shavuot also celebrates the giving of the First Fruits (Bikkurim) to the Holy Temple as a thanksgiving offering, the theme of Torah is certainly primary.

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The First Notated Jewish Music

By:Cantor Sherwood Goffin

May 01, 2010

Historically, Jews have had musical symbols for Torah reading since the time of Ezra, and according to some, from Moshe at Mt. Sinai. Nevertheless, we didn't have Jewish musicians who knew how to notate music until the late 17th century. Except for a 30 year period in 15th century Italy (Solomon Rossi), music was a closed book to all communities outside of the Church. Any Jewish music we have from before that time was notated by non-Jews...

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Twelve Names for the Chazzan

By:Cantor Sherwood Goffin

April 16, 2010

My teacher, Chazzan Macy Nulman, has written that the one who leads the tefilla"has been known throughout history by twelve different names in three different languages". This fascinating insight into the nomenclature of the Chazzan over the centuries reinforces the historical and liturgical importance of this vocation to many generations of Jewish communities throughout Israel and the Diaspora.

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A COMPLIMENT TO LSS FROM DAVKA SOFTWARE, INC.

By:Cantor Sherwood Goffin

April 10, 2010

I  am proud to announce that Davka Software, the largest producer of Jewish computer software programs, has chosen to feature Lincoln Square Synagogue in its latest production. This is the newest Davka mp3 CD program, “Favorite Niggunim of Shalosh Regalim and Chanukah.”

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SHABBAT HAGADOL ANTHEM

By:Cantor Sherwood Goffin

March 27, 2010

Today's Musaf Kedusha will reflect the fact that Shabbat HaGadol is the beginning of the week that Pesach makes its grand entrance into our Community.

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