Re: A nice surprise

[shirona <shirona...>]

I had a nice surprise too at Lorele's Shul - Temple Beth El in Cleveland...
the manifestation of an "impossible dream" - an Orthodox EGALITARIAN
synagogue!!!

I'm certainly no expert on these matters, and I'm sure that the experts will
contest the validity or "authenticity" of such an institution...   but to
the best of my understanding, this Synagogue and the service is Orthodox  in
all ways except one - and that is that men and women share everything
equally.

For me it was a spiritual and emotional experience - seeing "frum" women
taking an active and awe inspiring roll in the service, as equal to men and
equal before G-d.  (I was watching the men during the portions where women
were leading, and they  seemed very comfortable. The husbands whose wives
were leading looked very proud.   It was all very natural... "minhag
hamakom".)    Later I spent a good half hour talking with the Rabbi,  Moshe
Adler.  We should all be blessed with such Rabbis - open minded, spiritual,
a man who is in touch with his own conscience - and has the guts to act on
his beliefs.  Even in the face of a hostile "peer environment".

So that's what I did during my Pesach vacation...

Thanks, Lorele,
Shirona

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* * *  Singer / Songwriter and Teacher of Jewish Music * * *
          www.shirona.com

          Listen to Shirona's music on:
          www.mp3.com/shirona
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Lori Cahan-Simon" <l_cahan (at) staff(dot)chuh(dot)org>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Sunday, April 29, 2001 5:31 AM
Subject: A nice surprise


> I had a lovely experience during the Shabbes of Peysakh a few weeks
> ago.  In shul I saw a face I hadn't seen before and she and I smiled at
> each other to wish a good shabbes.  To my surprise she got up and sang
> such a beautiful tune for the Ashrei, and later Ein Keloheinu.  What a
> lovely voice she had.  Her name was Shirona and I thought, "Oh, I know a
> Shirona from the list".  Of course, it turned out to be the same
> Shirona!  I hear her Shir Hakavod is a knockout, too.
>
> The really cool thing is that yesterday our rebbetsin led us in Ein
> Keloheinu, and guess which tune we used?  Right!  Shirona, I think your
> beautiful melody has become part of our service, now.  I hope we add her
> Ashrei to our shul repetoire next.  I loved the sound of our
> congregation singing it.  I hope you all have the opportunity to listen
> to (and maybe sing) her fabulous, spiritual self-titled album.
>
> Lorele
>
>

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