[HANASHIR:16353] RE: Best of Friday Night

[Jacqueline Guttman <jguttman...>]

Marsha,

BJ -- B'nai Jeshurun -- is in NYC on the Upper West Side and is renowned far
and wide in these parts. They have a Friday night service that is all music
and, I hear, really is amazing. One of these days I will go. My son and
daughter-in-law have attended, as have many of our friends. It attracts many
(but not only) younger people from the area, unlike a lot of "regular"
services. 

Our own all-music services at Temple Emeth in Teaneck (cantor, band, once in
a great while the choir) take place monthly. There is no question that they
draw a good crowd, noticeably larger than most other services. Many of those
in attendance -- not all -- are the younger families. In some respects this
service feels like our monthly "family" services, primarily in who attends.
Lots of kids are hanging out. There is also some dancing in the aisles and,
what I really like, more dancing at the oneg. On the other hand, we have
other -- mostly more mature -- members who find that while it's fun, it does
not uplift them spiritually. The services are also quite repetitive,
musically but this may change, as the rabbi, cantor and ritual committee are
taking a look at them. For me personally, the jury is still out. I love
seeing and hearing the participation, but the lack of...something -- some
sort of intellectual rigor or something, leaves me unmoved in my heart and
soul.

Michael Isaacson's talk expresses this very well, as did John Planer's. Do
you have a copy of his talk at the same session? If not, and if you'd like
it, e-mail me off the list and I'll be happy to send it to you.

Jackie Guttman

> From: Marsha Fensin <mfsings (at) ccr(dot)net>
> Reply-To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2003 16:19:54 -0600
> To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> Subject: [HANASHIR:16349] RE: Best of Friday Night
> 
> Hi all,
> Question.  I just reread Michael Isaacson's talk to at the Melton
> Archive Conference. Really an interesting piece.  Hope you all had a
> chance to read it.  Pardon my ignorance, but what is BJ ( I am assuming
> it is a synagogue in New York)  and what is a BJ type of service?  I can
> imagine.  I think I know, but, someone please tell me anyway.  Do your
> synagogues do a BJ type of service, often, occasionally, always?  What
> kinds of turnouts do BJ type services have where you are?  Do you
> balance these types of services with other kinds in the course of say, a
> month, several months, a year?  What music do you do in a BJ type of
> service?  All Carlbach, a mixture ,etc.  Looking forward to your answers.
> Marsha
> 
> 

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