I was a featured singer this week at a tribute service to the life and music of Shlomo Carlebach held at VBS, singing a duet of L'man Achai and singing the Moshe V'Aharon/Romemu of Kabbalat Shabbat. It appears that as a result of the smashing success of the Farbrengen, as they were calling it, I will be able to go ahead with an actual Carlebach Kabbalat Shabbat. Now some of my friends may scoff at this as a simple task. After all, we do Carlebach all the time in New York and Jerusalem. However, most places of worship, in all religions, have difficulty with change. The Lecha Dodi melody we use at Kabbalat Shabbat has remained constant for more Shabbatot than I have been alive. However, Reb Shlomo's music struck a chord (pun intended) with the congregations (as well as a plethora of guests) and interest is high for something else Carlebach.
Carlebach frequented my synagogue way back when and sang on a number of occasions with my cantor. Carlebach's greatest contribution is that he brought an entire generation (and future generations) of Jews back to Judaism, not a simple task in the '60s nor today. He definitely made my life better. There is nothing like a good Carlebach service. Well, maybe a nice chulent, but every single ingredient in that is anathema to my new diet. D'oh!
I did a lot of singing this weekend, joining with the Cantor on Saturday morning. I think I may have inadvertently become a tenor. Uh oh.
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