[HANASHIR:4761] Instrumental music on Shabbat [was Re: Shabbat Shirah]

[Mitch Bassman <mbassman...>]

In her introduction to the current thread on Shabbat Shirah,
At 01:40 PM 01/02/2000 -0800, Pamela Rothmann Sawyer wrote:
>In my Reform
>shul, we do use instruments for special occasions, such as this one.

This leads to a question that I've been thinking about a lot lately -- one
that is about to be debated in the ("progressive conservative"
[egalitarian]) congregation which I serve as a volunteer choir director. I
don't want or intend to start a flame war, and I hope to see some serious
response to my question. I'm trying to resolve my own position for the debate.

To what extent do those of you who are affiliated with Conservative
synagogues use instrumental music on Shabbat? Although I grew up in a
Conservative congregation that used an electric organ in the synagogue on
Friday nights (but no longer does), the thought of doing that now with my
current congregation makes me uncomfortable.

Like Adrian who wrote "I am an instrumentalist," I, too, am primarily an
instrumentalist (and primarily a woodwind specialist). In general, I prefer
instrumental music over vocal music, but "tradition" has led me to avoid
using any instrumental music on erev Shabbat except on very few occasions
and only during the Kabbalat Shabbat prayers. (I have personally played
both flute and clarinet in the synagogue on Fridays during the spring and
summer when the service begins prior to sundown. I also confess that I have
no personal qualms about playing my own instruments in a secular setting --
outside of a synagogue -- on Shabbat.)

On the other hand, there is a growing faction in my congregation that is
encouraging occasionally having a Friday night "folk service" with guitars.
(We had two folk services during 1999 led by a folk group that draws some
members from my choir and some from outside of the choir; I attended
neither service.) The current trend is quarterly, but I sense a movement to
make it monthly. My current leaning personally is against this trend, and
there is a substantial portion of our membership that will surely stay away
from a service that is announced in advance to include instruments. On the
other hand (and in this case there is still that other hand), there is that
faction that wants it. In fact, our very wonderful
(Reconstructionist-educated) rabbi, whom I generally support completely, is
a part of that faction. Personally, I've decided to stay open to the
possibility of accepting the trend and participating in it, but I haven't
yet comes to terms with my own feelings.

I'm interested in comments -- both from the Conservative members of this
list and from those who are from the Reform congregations that also avoid
instrumental music in the synagogue on Shabbat. I hasten to add that I have
absolutely no quarrel with those whose tradition openly accepts the use of
instrumental music in the synagogue on Shabbat. The question is really what
to do when a substantial portion of the membership does not have that
tradition. (Also, the issue is about the Friday evening service only. Our
Shabbat morning service is quite traditional.)

Eager for a flood of comments,
Mitch Bassman

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