[HANASHIR:11628] Re: Hava Nirvana 2002

[Rabbi Richard Schachet <lvrabbi...>]

I am anxious to hear which songs and by whom you are using for the gospel
Chorus.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wendy Goldberg" <wendy(dot)goldberg (at) prodigy(dot)net>
To: <hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Monday, June 03, 2002 5:41 AM
Subject: [HANASHIR:11626] Hava Nirvana 2002


> Hello, all!  What a fabulous week at OSRUI!  Thanks to everyone who made
it
> a special time!!!!!
>
> There were many highlights of our time together, but I have to share the
one
> that has become my ultimate synthesis highlight.
>
> I was driving home listening to the music on my cool new mini disc player,
> singing along, and I was envisioning beginning the "Twin Cities Jewish
> Gospel Chorus", which is going to start in about three weeks.  I was
taking
> some notes "very carefully) every once in a while, and finally decided to
> pull over and write out my plan while the ideas where just flowing.  I
> stopped in Osseo, WI, a tiny town, and chose the family restaurant over
the
> big chain restaurants, since I'm always trying to support small businesses
> over corporations.
>
> Well, this turned out to be a great choice.  Everyone in there was eating
> Sunday dinner with their families.  Lots of roasted chicken, pot roast,
> pork, etc.  I really wasn't hungry but felt that sitting and drinking
water
> might be a bit rude, so I ordered the only vegetarian thing on the menu,
> mozarella sticks, and sat with all of my papers, notebook, journal, and
cell
> phone (I noticed that NO ONE else had a cell phone).  I was taking notes
and
> talking with the wait staff when a family of two couples and four children
> were being seated next to me.  One of the women was staring curiously at
my
> notes, so in my post-HN effusiveness, I asked her if she wanted to see
what
> I was writing.  WOuldn't you know, she could see my effusiveness and raise
> me one, so we began talking about my idea to begin a gospel chorus
(without
> mentioning that it was Jewish--this was small town wisconsin).  She
> immediately asks, starry-eyed, "Do you believe?" and I realize I'm dealing
> with very religious Christians from small town Indiana (Bible-thumping
> country). So, I respond, well, no, but my friend, ____, does, only he
thinks
> you've got it all wrong.
>
> Pretty soon I have joined them at their table and they are eating my
> mozarella sticks, and we're talking about Hava Nashira, Jesus, and how
it's
> not a great idea to ask a post-Holocaust people to try to believe in
Jesus.
> We're a bit defensive when it comes to that.  She was great and we had a
lot
> of fun talking, and I told them I was going to be in big trouble if I made
> even more friends on this trip.  I called Dan to say that I would be just
a
> little later, since now I was in the lap of this fun Christian family and
we
> were yakking a mile a minute.   He replied simply, "Would you just be a
> little careful?"
>
>
> The pinnacle was when I sang "G-d is In" to them at their table.  I asked
> them that if I started crying hard or climbed under the table in complete
> embarrassment, would they please just help me to the car and send me home,
> to which they agreed.  They also agreed to pay for the mozarella sticks in
> exchange for the song, which was fair, since they ate them.
>
> I also warned them that there might be some offensive ideas or words, and
> would it be okay to use the word "hell" in front of the children.  Karen
(my
> latest new best friend) responded, "Honey, we believe in hell, so it's
just
> fine!"
>
> We sang G-d is in and they LOVED it, and had already copied down Billy's
> website info so they could get his CD by the time I finished singing.  My
> advice was to buy 100 and give them as gifts to everyone.  They asked if
> they could be in touch and I gave them my email saying, "As long as you
> don't try to get me to believe in Jesus, it's fine."  I repeated that
again
> before I left and they were quite cool.
>
> I laughed for a good half hour about this experience on the way home and
> felt like it was quite the icing on the cake!
>
> Be in touch.  thanks for everything!  If you are interested in joining my
> gospel chorus, rehearsals will be on Wednesday nights in July and August!
>
> Wendy Goldberg
> Minneapolis
>
>
>
>
>

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