Vision Statement
Ha'idoti vachem hayom et hashamayim v'et ha'aretz
hachayim v'hamavet natati l'fanecha hab'rachah v'hak'lalah uvacharta bachayim
hachayim v'hamavet natati l'fanecha hab'rachah v'hak'lalah uvacharta bachayim
I call heaven & earth to witness against you this day:
I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life! (Deuteronomy 30:19)
I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life! (Deuteronomy 30:19)
Ocho Kandelikas by Flory Jagoda
This is the earliest recording of me playing guitar. It was recorded the same year as the following story.
This is the earliest recording of me playing guitar. It was recorded the same year as the following story.
When I was 13 years old, with only a few months of guitar under my belt, my rabbi saw how much I enjoyed singing Debbie Friedman’s "Miriam’s Song." He invited me to play it with him, which became a defining moment for my Jewish life and career. I went on to songlead for religious school until high school graduation, and I continued songleading at synagogues and camps while in college in Philadelphia. Along the way, I have learned that creating space for others to lead is an essential part of my calling as a cantor.
In their book, "The Power of Moments," Chip and Dan Heath invite us to consider how a seemingly ordinary moment can become defining and leave a lasting impression that could change our lives forever. Defining moments are planted emotional-seeds that remind us of our connections to those who matter most. They teach us to recognize how our accomplishments give us resilience at the toughest of times. When we read certain words, when we sing familiar melodies, when we are surrounded by special people, and when our family is with us at life-cycle events, these moments come to us easily.
As a cantor and communal leader, I realize that my choices mold the clay to build pathways toward defining moments for each person entering the threshold of the synagogue. Each community gathering is filled with opportunities for defining moments. As leaders, our choices mold the pathways towards these moments. The construction and care of text interwoven with song can elevate us out of the mundane and into moments of connection. Choosing a certain poem that leads into a particular setting of "Hashkiveinu" instead of a different one might inspire a moving moment of prayer. Another defining moment could occur while dancing around the sanctuary with a couple at their aufruf. We each enter prayer spaces with varying emotional and psychological needs. It is the shaliach tzibbur's (prayer leader's) task to offer a carefully crafted and balanced service.
Living Jewishly means opening oneself up to the power of community and the opportunities for the creation of defining moments, which that community provides. Helping another person is a gift not only to the recipient, but also to the giver. Showing up to volunteer or visiting a community member who is ill or homebound makes the world better and nourishes us, as well. Whether it is a days-long trip to a community ravaged by a tornado or volunteering for a few hours on a Sunday afternoon at the food bank, we create the circumstances for the formation of defining moments. Maya Angelou put it best, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
In this time of rising anti-Semitism and global uncertainty, it is up to us to seek out moments of Jewish joy. The future of Judaism lies in our children and the strengthening of our people's Jewish identity. As American Jews it is easy to lose that layer of Jewish culture that makes us unique. Through immersive experiences, informal education, flexibility and innovation, we can continue to keep children, their families, and the entire community engaged and open to what could be defining moments of Jewish joy. We must also remember that each of us has a unique story. A community is strengthened by the sharing of stories, customs, recipes, heirlooms, and teachings. Sharing our stories connects us to each other and links us to our ancestors.
In my work as a Cantor, I strive to create the potential for these defining moments. The purpose of community is to help us achieve the command in Deuteronomy 30:19. When we choose to gather and forge meaningful connections with each other, learning from one another, and giving of ourselves, we choose life.
In their book, "The Power of Moments," Chip and Dan Heath invite us to consider how a seemingly ordinary moment can become defining and leave a lasting impression that could change our lives forever. Defining moments are planted emotional-seeds that remind us of our connections to those who matter most. They teach us to recognize how our accomplishments give us resilience at the toughest of times. When we read certain words, when we sing familiar melodies, when we are surrounded by special people, and when our family is with us at life-cycle events, these moments come to us easily.
As a cantor and communal leader, I realize that my choices mold the clay to build pathways toward defining moments for each person entering the threshold of the synagogue. Each community gathering is filled with opportunities for defining moments. As leaders, our choices mold the pathways towards these moments. The construction and care of text interwoven with song can elevate us out of the mundane and into moments of connection. Choosing a certain poem that leads into a particular setting of "Hashkiveinu" instead of a different one might inspire a moving moment of prayer. Another defining moment could occur while dancing around the sanctuary with a couple at their aufruf. We each enter prayer spaces with varying emotional and psychological needs. It is the shaliach tzibbur's (prayer leader's) task to offer a carefully crafted and balanced service.
Living Jewishly means opening oneself up to the power of community and the opportunities for the creation of defining moments, which that community provides. Helping another person is a gift not only to the recipient, but also to the giver. Showing up to volunteer or visiting a community member who is ill or homebound makes the world better and nourishes us, as well. Whether it is a days-long trip to a community ravaged by a tornado or volunteering for a few hours on a Sunday afternoon at the food bank, we create the circumstances for the formation of defining moments. Maya Angelou put it best, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
In this time of rising anti-Semitism and global uncertainty, it is up to us to seek out moments of Jewish joy. The future of Judaism lies in our children and the strengthening of our people's Jewish identity. As American Jews it is easy to lose that layer of Jewish culture that makes us unique. Through immersive experiences, informal education, flexibility and innovation, we can continue to keep children, their families, and the entire community engaged and open to what could be defining moments of Jewish joy. We must also remember that each of us has a unique story. A community is strengthened by the sharing of stories, customs, recipes, heirlooms, and teachings. Sharing our stories connects us to each other and links us to our ancestors.
In my work as a Cantor, I strive to create the potential for these defining moments. The purpose of community is to help us achieve the command in Deuteronomy 30:19. When we choose to gather and forge meaningful connections with each other, learning from one another, and giving of ourselves, we choose life.