Re: Back from the river

[Steve Weintraub <dancinsteve...>]

There are a lot of instances of walking backwards as a sign of respect or
honor- which I understand derives from how you would treat a king- not
turning your back even as you leave.  So... religious Jews will often take a
few steps backwards when exiting a synagogue, or leaving the Kotel.  The
groom can exit backwards after the Bedeckens (veiling of the bride) and also
be escorted to the chuppah by friends walking backwards in front of him.
The koilich tanz (dance with a braided bread) is done by a woman holding a
challah and preceding the wedding couple from the chuppah. She would move
backwards as well as forwards.  In the popular dance at weddings- Ketzad
m'Rakdim (this is how we dance<before the bride>) a line of women advances
and retreats while facing the bride, while 2 other  perpendicular lines
advance and retreat from each other.

I was going to open this response by saying that there were a lot of
cultural instances of Jews walking backwards, but thought better of putting
it that way.

-Steve
----- Original Message -----
From: <AGREENBA (at) aol(dot)com>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2002 11:04 AM
Subject: Re: Back from the river


>
> In a message dated 2/3/02 4:31:21 AM, lucy (at) 
> cix(dot)compulink(dot)co(dot)uk writes:
>
> << Arye Laish's Nigun (which Adrianne kindly sent me) is meant to be sung
> while
> walking back (or was it backwards?) from a river. What is the significance
of
> this?
> Lucy Fisher >>
>
> I believe it was explained to us that, while walking backwards, facing the
> sunset, and acknowledging therefore the sun setting and not turning our
back
> on it, we were welcoming the coming of Shabbat. It was out of respect, it
> seemed, for the end of the week, not turning your back on the sun setting.
> I'm sure Itzik had a little more to say but that seemed to be the general
> idea. Anyone else have more? I must admit I didn't hear everything that
was
> said about it when we "did" it at Klezkanada.
> Adrianne
>
>

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