[HANASHIR:8275] Hanashir digest 1150: Kol isha

[ItaSara <ItaSara...>]

<<But can you expect everyone who hears you to praise and approve of

your singing? As an artist, would you expect only good reviews of your work?>>

Of Course Not! And it is somewhat presumptuous to think that I would feel 
this way. I was brought up on the old adage "when in Rome, do as the Romans 
do" so I would not think of even considering having my voice heard where it 
was not wanted like in an orthodox shul. I think, Adrian, you misunderstood 
what I was trying to say, which was in regards to the topic of Kol Isha in 
general, and not any particular point about my own singing but about my 
feelings on the subject of a woman's voice being heard. In fact, I'm not 
exactly sure what your point was either.  Although no one denies me or any 
other singer the opportunity to sing, there are those who would consider we 
singers Jewishly in bad taste because in their hearts they believe that the 
voice of the woman is for private only. And often they make no bones about 
saying so either. In fact a few years ago I was on my way to an evening event 
at the JCC hosted by the Chabad. One of the Klezmer players that evening 
approached me as I was entering and said he would like to have me sing with 
him. I told him I would not be able to do this. But he asked the Rabbi 
anyway, and I was "denied" the opportunity to sing as I had predicted.

 In the Jewish Chorale that I sing in, (a mixed group which would not have 
the same sound if we were only male or female), we try to be very careful 
about offending anyone in the Jewish Community, but inevitably  we do for the 
very fact they we exist as a mixed group. For example, we use euphamisms as 
Adomai or Elokeinu even though many of us do not feel this necessary. When we 
once sang at the local Hillel School before one of their meetings, the ultra 
Orthodox members who were waiting for the meeting to start stood most visibly 
outside the door so they could  or would not hear us (only because there were 
females in the group.)  We understood and respected what they were doing,  
but it certainly sent a message to everyone present   how they felt about our 
group even though we do good things for the community, and there is little 
doubt that they felt about us as individual Jews.

So I don't ask to change what OTHERS do, but THEY would have no qualms about 
wanting to Change what I do. And that is partly what is at heart of the 
matter of Kol Isha, one reason why I think this is such a heated topic. 

itasara (at) aol(dot)com 



 

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