[HANASHIR:4762] Re: Instrumental music on Shabbat [was Re: Shabbat Shirah]

[Andy Curry <acurry...>]

Dear Mitch et al,

In my Conservative synagogue - Beth Shalom in Kansas City, about 1200
families, we have both.  There is always the "normative" service, in which
there is no instrumentation.  Two or three times a month, however, we will
have a concurrent service where we use guitars and such.

We would not dream of disturbing those who expect things to remain as they
have been by introducing instruments, so we must provide choices.

Andy

At 12:57 PM 1/4/00 -0500, you wrote:
>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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What if the Hokey Pokey IS what it's all about?
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Andy Curry
6016 Holmes St
Kansas City MO 64110-3034
Home: (816)363-8381
Work: (913)312-4739

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