[HANASHIR:16432] Dinosaur and more

[Gail Nalven <golda18...>]

Shalom,

I read the original "dinosaur" posting and frankly, I reacted to it so strongly that I wanted to wait before responding.  An no Shirona, it wasn't out of political correctness, it was out of politeness.  I think that sometimes, people, including myself, react quickly, and write things that might be better worded if we waited a bit.

I very much disagree with your viewpoint on converting secular songs.  I believe in using whatever works. As a religious school director i regularly lead servicesand programs during school for all grades.  I also lead monthly services at a nursing home. The reality is that we need to use whatever we can find to engage the kids.  that doesn't mean that we don't do Hebrew songs and prayers. Young children who see a purple dinosaur as cool.  So if this purple dinosaur lights candles and eats challah, it must also be cool.  what a great way to grab the kids along with bim, bam and other songs.  (And who knows where Bim, Bam started. It could be the "rock-a-bye-baby" of a different generation.)

I work with cantor who does not teach English language songs as a rule.  The kids really don't connect with him because they don't "get" what he is teaching them.  Unfortunately, many of us work in congregations where there is no Jewish practice in the home or day school kids.  So sadly Shabbat itself is not enough to compete with the mall and Friday night activities at their public schools. 

"I'm an advocate for high quality and professionalism - as an expression of
service and reverence to our art-form and that which we are supposed to
serve - Jewish culture, religion, the future of our people..." 

Judaism is an evolving religion that picks and chooses things from different eras and also tosses them at times.  So called "Torah Jews" are really Talmud Jews.  Laws and cultures have constantly changed and I hope they will continue to flow.  Our pulling ideas from the popular culture does not change the essence of Judaism.  I think that we are stronger than that. I don't think the "dinosaur song" will make it into the permanent liturgy.  But you never know.  The tune we traditionally use on Shabbat for Aleinu may be "mi Sinai" as old as if it were from Sinai, but I've always heard that the second part of that first paragraph beginning with "She-ho-no-teh-sha-ma-yim" is from a Russian drinking song. I've also heard from a Sephardic scholar that many of the melodies used by Sephardic Jews come operas. 

 "Taste is a personal matter - and there is no absolute "right or wrong"
when in comes to the arts..."
 I agree with you but weare not doing art for art sake.  Our art is in service of something else.  I have many friends who are cantors in the Conservative and Reform movements.  And I often hear traditionalists steer away from the traditional nusach of the moment because they choose to use the tune that "works".  After all, isn't our job to do what "works" and not be performers?

Gail Nalven