A beautiful rendition of one of our sacred prayers for Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). For my non-Jewish friends, Jewish music is usually in a minor key, hence the haunting sound, as contrasted with gospel music and most Christian hymns and music, which have their own beauty. The lyrics translate, basically, as: Our Father, our King, hear our prayer let the gates of heaven be open to our plea let this be an hour of compassion and favor give strength to Your people Israel remember those slain for their love of Your name Remember those who went through fire and water. for Your sake be mindful of us, and help us inscribe us in the Book of Forgiveness inscribe us for blessing in the Book of Life inscribe us in the Book of deliverance and redemption Our Father, our King, be gracious and answer us, for we have little merit. Treat us generously and with kindness, and be our help. There is another, even more significant, Yom Kippur prayer (song...melody), the Kol Nidre, which I wont get into right now, except to say that it is THE signature Yom Kippur prayer/melody. We are so very fortunate at Temple Beth Israel in Macon (in addition to having the beautiful vocal renditions by three members of our congregation) to have as our closing memory the hauntingly stunning rendition of this melody by a cello and organ duo, graciously provided by Barbara Altman, first cellist with the Macon Symphony, and our organist, Ann ( sorry, Ann, having a moment & cant recall your last name, but your music is wonderful and we love you). This is so beautiful that it brings tears to my eyes and (imho) is the highlight of our service. I just sit there with tears streaming down. So beautiful. Beyond words. If youre Jewish, may you have an easy fast (if you fast). And if youre not Jewish, I hope you have learned something that fosters mutual understanding and acceptance.
Posted on: Sat, 04 Oct 2014 04:22:53 +0000
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