Leslie Feldman
Kesher Israel Congregation in West Chester is bringing a new dimension to its prayer services via some uncommon instruments.
Years ago, Rabbi Sam Yolen attended services at a New York synagogue that is well known for its musical services. That experience profoundly affected him, and he vowed to work to bring that experience to Kesher Israel.
While the congregation’s Saturday morning Shabbat is traditionally chanted, Yolen has incorporated unique instruments, including a Yishama handpan drum from Israel, a shruti box from India, wooden and metal chimes, a gong and a wave drum.
“Each instrument was something that I researched, sourced and practiced to bring into prayer for the purpose of ‘hidur hamitzvah,’ or ‘beautification of the mitzvah of prayer’,” Yolen said. “The Far Eastern sounds help those who are less familiar with Hebrew prayer to get in the right head space.”
Yolen bought the handpan instrument himself. It was expensive and not part of the synagogue budget, but he was captivated.
“I have seen these handpans at music festivals and had heard the sound of it online. It has a haunting and beautiful sound — it truly must be heard in person,” Yolen said. “Each handpan is made in a special scale, hammered out by hand and can only contain one scale. That means that I had to know which Middle Eastern scale was right for me and the way my voice chants the prayers of our siddur.”
Depending on how he chants the prayers, Yolen will use the instruments to punctuate important lines of the liturgy. He explains that it is not like traditional Western music with a beat and a beginning, end and chorus. The way he chants is a free flow of words (in English and Hebrew), and he uses the instruments to provide a subtle or climactic crescendo to the important liturgy.
Congregants look forward to Yolen’s integration of musical instrumentation into Shabbat morning services because they know they will experience pleasure while performing a mitzvot.
“If you look through the Tanach, you will find numerous references (especially Psalm 150) to the use of instruments and the associated joy they create,” congregant Glenn Paskow said. “I am not fluent in Hebrew, so the reading of the words does not have a great deal of impact on me. Rabbi Yolen’s use of music creates an aura of spirituality for me that opens my heart to connecting to God. I find the use of instrumental music during worship to be indispensable for me to create a mood in which I can reach outside of my personal concerns and see what Jewish worship has to teach me about living a more meaningful life.”
For those who find prayer difficult, Yolen is trying to do what Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel calls “prayer by proxy,” or praying through the shliach tzibbur. He explains that it is not ideal prayer, as each person should be praying on their own, but if this helps others be accustomed to the prayers and helps them access their spirituality, he is all for it.
“While it was a bit difficult for some individuals to grow accustomed to this style in the beginning, once it has been incorporated enough, those people miss it when it’s gone,” he added. “Every once in a while, for a more traditional vibe, I will revert to nonmusical-accompanied prayer, and people will ask me to bring back the instruments. That is a huge vote of confidence and validation, and it also means that traditional davveners and new-age spiritualists can share space and worship in a way that unites them in an authentic Jewish practice.”
Congregant Marilyn Rothberg recommended the use of these instruments at other synagogues.
“Traditional prayer is complemented by these soul-touching sounds,” she said. “They deepen the experience of community prayer, adding a spiritual dimension to our services.”
Yolen added that any music, if played competently and consistent with the festive mood of Shabbat morning, will be a boon to prayer for those who struggle with Hebrew.
“Since we are a diverse community, unaffiliated and span a few denominations, I know this strategy works. I began incorporating the Far Eastern sounds so that all people, regardless of their religious background and upbringing, can lose themselves in the prayers. I would encourage anyone who feels that Jewish worship services are too long, too boring or otherwise not meaningful, to try out a service at a synagogue that integrates high-quality music into its service.”
Leslie Feldman is a Philadelphia-area freelance writer.