Re: Women's Music?

[Sam Weiss <samweiss...>]

"WINSTON WEILHEIMER" <nusach (at) hotmail(dot)com> <mailto:nusach (at) 
hotmail(dot)com> wrote:
 >I see no denigration of women here....am i wrong?
 >
 >any how....if anyone can think of a better title
 >...let me know...im open to suggestion.


Winston, work on the spelling.
"Ashes Chayil" looks too much like a burnt offering.

As a title it's not bad; but although your programing idea is a noble 
one, and your understanding of Eyshet Chayil sincere, I personally find 
the text of this poem to be somewhat patronizing to [live] women. It's 
not too bad as a funeral text. The popular understanding of its 
traditional use on Friday night is interesting. You can be sure that the 
original purpose of including this poem in the Friday night ritual was 
not to honor the woman of the house, but as an allegory to the Shechina 
and the soul. It fits into the kabbalistic scheme of reciting Shir 
Hashirim before Mincha on Friday [as Chassidim still do], singing to the 
Sabbath Bride before Ma'ariv, and bidding farewell to the Sabbath Queen 
after Havdalah. (They had an interesting way of sublimating their sexual 
urges.)

Also, since your goal is not to politicize, but to honor women, may I be 
so bold as to suggest that you not limit the program to recordings by 
women, but include songs of love to women, even if recorded by folks of 
the male persuasion.

______________________________________________________
Cantor Sam Weiss === Jewish Community Center of Paramus, NJ



---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org ---------------------+