Beat of a differnt drummer

[richard_wolpoe <richard_wolpoe...>]

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re:  Re[6]: Itsy Bitsy Spider and other Liturgucal Themes 
Author:  <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org > at tcpgate
Date:    2/26/98 2:42 PM


Dear Rich Wolpoe,
        I greatly admire your ability to get right to the heart of thhe
matter, which makes it easier for me to understand my own view. Even though 
I disagree with you, I take this as an opportunity to articulate my view 
rather than an attempt to impose it on anyone else, least of all you.

Dear IL,
        I'll give you the long version if I ever get your email Address!
You know that I bacially agree with you and we really only differ on a few 
points maybe 20%.  Bottom line, as An american Jew, and a Westernized Jews 
I don't identify as much with the Eastern style as with the Western style.  
I have a hunch that a LOT of American born Jews would feel the same way IF 
they were exposed to more Western style Jewish music.  
        That doesn't mean that the good old Moldavian style chazzanus is in 
any way inferior.  Rather, I think that Eastern music resonates well with 
our history, while the Western style resonates better with our contemporary 
situation (at least here in North America).  So I'd prefer that we begin 
building our own Minhog America based on a VERY broad foundation that would 
include ALL of our traditions.  Let's come up with our own Minhogim.  I 
hate to see congregations of people descended from all over the globe be 
pigeon-holed.  (Now, that's different if the congregation is indeed 
monlothic, eg a Chassidishe stiebel).

Regards,
Rich Wolpoe