Re: HANASHIR digest 176

[Laura Harari <laurah...>]

I'll add my two cents worth about melodies for liturgy. While I
absolutely agreee that it is good responsible practice to know the
meaning of the lyrics we sing and teach--especially those of liturgy--I
think we need to be a little less hard line and moralizing with regard
to what melodies are appropriate to use and which not. I do personally
find it meaningful when the melody I sing to a given text seems in my
mind to fit the meaning of the words, but the key here is that it seems
to ME.  I don't think we can or should generalize here.  Examples abound
of melodies which we think are "cannon" and whose origins are from the
surrounding cultures in which we Jews have lived over the centuries...
i.e. the most popular (Ashkenazi ) melody for Maoz Tsur, I believe, has
its origins in a German drinking song...and what WE in the U.S. consider
"standard" nusach for much prayer is in fact the melodies of Lewandowski
which came out of the experience of the Jewish community of Germany. 
Alongside this are many other traditions with their own standard
melodies over time, i.e. Yemenite, Indian, Moroccan, Portugese, Russian,
etc...When living in Israel, I remember a debate among Sephardi Jews
which was ulimately resolved by the chief Sephardi rabbi, regarding the
use of popular "mizrachi" melodies to sing Adon Olam.One of those was a
popular song (ironically written by an Ashkenazi Jew--Dori Ben Ze'ev)
but in a very middle Eastern style--called "Mah Ha-Dawawin Shelach"--the
lyric of which talks of kvetching about things. The chief Rabbi when
asked, ruled that the adoption of such melodies to sing popular liturgy
was fine, and in fact part of the normal "folk" process, and encourages
more Jews to participate in liturgy.

Everyone, of course, has full right to consider something personally
objectionable--I just feel we have to put it all in perspective.
Best regards, Laura