Here are a variety of resources and publications that relate to and explore Beth El Sings.

Beth El Sings Articles

First “Beth El Sings!” Israeli Song of the Month Club — by Phyllis Harris It was a dark and snowy night (not so much snowing as sleeting), but the atmosphere at the home of Ruth and Jonathan Paradise was warm, friendly and upbeat, as we sang Israeli songs, both old and new. Some of the songs we knew and others we learned so everyone could participate. Great guitar accompaniment was provided by Art Shragg. When we were done singing, we enjoyed warm drinks, delicious treats and good company. It was the first Israeli Song of the Month Club for “Beth El Sings”. As you may recall, Beth (Read More...)

Synagogue Music at a Glance: Why We Sing What We Sing? — By Cantor Neil Newman I’m so pleased that Cantor Abrams and Marilyn Weisberg invited me to write this article for the Shofar, allowing me to send my warmest regards to all of you. Saranee and I are adjusting quite well to Sarasota, especially to the weather. And although we’ve made some wonderful new friends, we miss all of you at Beth El and look forward to seeing you during the summer. Upon entry to the synagogue, a person somewhat familiar with Jewish chant should be able to detect from the music alone, independent of the liturgy, (Read More...)

What is “Jewish Music?” — By Cantor Audrey Abrams For some it’s the lilting sound of torah being chanted or the great cantors of yester-year. For some it’s the sounds of klezmer bands or Yiddish theater music. And for others, it’s the soulful, repetitive niggunim of Reb Shlomo Carlbach z”l, or the touching words and melodies of Debbie Friedman z”l, or the rousing and energizing sounds of Craig Taubman. What does Jewish music sound like? It’s been a vexing question for millennia—at least since the Israelites wept by the Babylonian riverbanks with harps in hand. A half-century ago, the great German-Jewish (Read More...)