Re: Bat mitzvah on Curacao

[winston weilheimer <taxrelief...>]

in my other "life", not an accountant...i host a show on the net called
nusach.  I am featuring the cd romemu on my show next week.  you can see the
bima of the curacao congregation on my web site
http://sites.netscape.net/nusachmaven
any replies and inquiries should go to my nusach email address which is
nusach (at) hotmail(dot)com

winston weilheimer
host
nusach
global net radio's shalom america

----- Original Message -----
From: Joel Bresler <jbresler (at) ma(dot)ultranet(dot)com>
To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 1999 5:21 PM
Subject: Bat mitzvah on Curacao


> Chevre,
>
> Interesting message from a rabbi on Curacao about preparing a young woman
> for her Bat Mitzvah in the Spanish and Portuguese tradition. There is one
> recording that I know of specifically dealing with Curacao:
>
> Swerling, Cantor Norman P.
> Romemu - Exalt!
> National Multimedia Services
> NMS20477
>
> (I found it at Tara, but perhaps Simon and others have it.) And there are
a
> number of recordings of artists and choirs associated with the Spanish
> and  Portuguese tradition from Shearith Israel in NYC and Bevis Marks in
> London. Last, there is a fascinating CD/Booklet on Jewish Liturgical music
> that includes selections from the Portuguese community in the south of
France:
>
> Roten, Hervé    E
> Musiques Liturgiques Juives
> Cité de la musique/Actes Sud
> ISBN: 2-7427-1480-4
>
> (I don't think it's available in the US...)
>
> Best,
>
> Joel
>
>
> >X-Sender: mtayvah (at) popmail(dot)cura(dot)net
> >Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 10:49:16 -0400
> >To: jbresler (at) ma(dot)ultranet(dot)com
> >From: Michael Tayvah <mtayvah (at) cura(dot)net>
> >Subject: Take part in an historic event!
> >
> >Dear friends:
> >
> >On of my privileges here on Curacao has been teaching a young woman for
her
> >Bat Mitzvah celebration. She will be 14 in December, but waited until now
> >to study because they had no rabbi for nearly two years, and because her
> >congregation is still not fully egalitarian. Her name is Erin Blanken.
> >
> >What is so historic about a 14 year old celebrating a Bat mitzvah?
> >
> >Her family on her mother's side has been on Curacao for 12 generations.
> >Before her family settled on Amsterdam they were from the Sephardic Jews
> >who fled west to Portugal where in the early sixteenth century were
forced
> >to convert to Catholicism. They somehow managed to preserve their
> >Jewishness during four generations of being covert Jews and overt
> >Catholics. Upon reaching what her ancestors called "the lands of Judaism"
> >they embraced Jewish life, and for a short while were part of the
Amsterdam
> >Jewish revival of the seventeenth century.
> >
> >How her family -- the Senior family -- got to Curacao is not known, but
> >they were always key community members, frequently in the leadership of
the
> >community and supporting Jewish life here. Her
> >great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grand uncle donated the Tebah
> >(bimah) still used in Mikve Israel - Emanuel, the synagogue where her
> >family has worshipped since it was built 267 years ago.
> >
> >Last December, a community vote on implementing full ritual
egalitarianism
> >fail by four votes to achieve a three-quarters majority.  Erin was very
> >disappointed but chose to continue to study to read Torah, and celebrate
> >her becoming Bat Mitzvah. Rather than accept what girls are allowed to do
> >in her synagogue, she and her family chose to have their celebration in
> >their home, a first in this community (which used to place people in
> >"herem" for worshipping in a minyan anywhere but in the community
> >synagogue).
> >
> >When I took the position of Rabbi of this oldest synagogue in continual
use
> >in the western hemisphere I was asked to chant Torah to Western
> >Spanish-Portuguese Torah tropes. Then, no member of Mikve Israel -
Emanuel
> >knew those melodies. Thanks to Rabbi Ira Rohde of Shearith Israel in New
> >York City, I learned a version of those tropes, and have taught them to
> >four Bar/t Mitzvah students.
> >
> >At Shabbat Minhah services on 29 Tishray 5760 (9 October 1999) Erin will
> >read from a Torah brought by an older native Curacao relative, loaned
from a
> >congregation in Connecticut where the rabbi's wife is yet another native
> >Curacaoan.
> >
> >Erin will be the first woman to read Torah on Curacao.
> >
> >She is within the first group of descendants of Spanish & Portuguese
> >Sephardic Jews here to re-embrace the Torah melodies of her ancestors.
(In
> >fact she may be one a mere handful of Spanish & Portuguese Sephardic
women
> >who know how chant Torah!)
> >
> >More importantly, her quiet perseverance has brought about many changes
in
> >her family and others here, motivating woman many years her elders to get
> >involved in Jewish life and living.
> >
> >And what do I ask of you?
> >
> >It would be wonderful to present Erin with a book of well wishes from
like
> >minded Jews from around the world, congratulating her on her achievement
> >and encouraging her to continue and deepen her Jewish learning.  Helping
> >Erin see how her acts and desires tie her into a larger Jewish world
would
> >be a powerful gift.
> >
> >Please write her a note, or a letter. Send them to (Joel's note: The
rabbi
> >has indicated "Dayenu" and asked that no more messages need be sent...)
> >and I'll assemble them to present to her at her celebration. <snip>
> >
> >Feel free to pass this on to whomever you think would be interested.
> >
> >Hag Samayah! May the Holy One bless us all as we begin a new Torah
reading
> >cycle.
> >
> >Many thanks!
> >
> >Michael and Paola Tayvah
> >
> >=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
> >
> >Michael Tayvah
> >
> >(599) 9 737 5399
> >mailto:mtayvah (at) cura(dot)net
> >
> >Curacao, Netherlands Antilles
> >
> >12° 06' 30'' North
> >68° 55' 51'' West
>
>
>
> Joel Bresler
> 250 E. Emerson Rd.
> Lexington, MA 02420 USA
>
> Home:           781-862-2432
> Home Office:    781-862-4104
> FAX:            781-862-0498
> Cell:           781-622-0309
> Email:          jbresler (at) ma(dot)ultranet(dot)com
>
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> ---------------------+
>