Re: Adon Olam

[Ilana Rosansky <rabstud...>]

I promised myself I wasn't going to get embroiled in this thread..., but as
a former music teacher and School Principal (sometimes both!) I guess I
will put in my two cents.  I think the difference is between an occassional
variation of melody (to something seasonal), just as nusach within certain
prayers takes on a chag melody during that holiday (Ma'oz Tsur) during
Chanukah for example or the use of Adir Hu for some portion of the Chazarah
of the Amidah during Pesach... (To that end, Adon Olam sung to Marcello's
Maoz Tsur is a nice break) versus *teaching* Adon Olam to pop and secular
tunes... I think we can teach children using the traditional melody and
then teach other melodies... but I, frankly, don't feel the need to present
a lofty hymn first as 'Jeopardy'.  If later, one wants to reinforce words
using other melodies (as in a medley kind of game) that's fine, but first
impressions (and first associations) are quite enduring... So the question
becomes how do we want children to remember Adon Olam?

I will admit though, that my shul in Jerusalem (French Hill) [which had a
number of Americans] closed services one Shabbat morning in June with Adon
Olam sung to "Take me Out to the Ball Game"! It's 'charm' was in the fact
that it was marking a (for some) nostalgic reference to a new season... AND
it was a one-time novelty!

Ilana Rosansky, NYC




<         >>Teaching children this song, and what it means is one of the
<goals of my
<         >>curriculum; however, we tend to learn that with which we are
<familiar.
<         >>Placing the words to a different tune done not remove the
<reverence and many
<         >>times, in fact, increases the joy.  Furthermore, and most
<importantly, the
<         >>kids learn it.  If I can teach the words, which are rather
<complicated, using
<         >>the "Jeopardy" theme, the William Tell Overture, or even
<Debbie's "Im Tirtzu,"
<         >>and get the words out of the way, I can proceed to teaching the
<"Traditional",
<         >>the Hitman/Ben-Hur melody, or Jeff Klepper's new melody with
<greater ease.
<         >
<         >At my Hillel, they did Adon Olam to "The Rainbow Connection" on
<Shabbat
<         >Noach.  (And Ein Keloheinu to "Rise and Shine".)
<         >
<         >L'hit,
<         >--Ben Dreyfus
<         >dreyfus (at) fas(dot)harvard(dot)edu
<         >http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~dreyfus







------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Ilana Rosansky
Limudim v'Chayim - Jewish Learning & LifeCycles
Hebrew, Bar/Bat Mitsvah Training. Small groups or individuals
Ilana (at) oursquare(dot)com
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