It seems so unreal.The festival begins in less than 48 hours. There is so much running around to do tomorrow! It is so exciting. There will be a wonderful article in the Boston Globe on Friday. And the Jewish Advocate did some great coverage this week too. And the BJMF Program Book is just amazing. So hurry up and get your tickets. I'm off to the airport to pick up Yehuda Katz who will be playing  in Sharon Sunday afternoon. There are so many great events. Enjoy.

The Boston Phoenix has published a terrific article on the Music Festival. A big shout out to Jon Garelick for his fine work that captured so much of the spirit. Nice picture of Ruth Dolores Weiss, too! Hope you have your tickets--they are going fast!

You can read the article here: http://thephoenix.com/Boston/music/97500-jew-note/

Jim 

 

I attended the Union for Reform Judaism's Biennial a week ago (full disclosure: I'm a member of their North American Board and on several commissions for the Reform movement). Held in Toronto, more than 3,000 Reform Jews gathered for five days of learning, meetings, worship, workshops, being together...and some pretty amazing music. Kudos to Josh Nelson, in particular, who was music director for the entire week. (Josh, as you may know, grew up in the Boston area and attended BU--now he's living in Brooklyn and touring extensively; he's one of the most exciting and powerful performers in Jewish music.)

The Saturday evening highlight of the Biennial was a musical/mixed media event entitled "Faithjam," created by well-known Jewish musician Craig Taubman, and it was extraordinary. It brought together: a slew of Jewish musicians; an Arabic singer and music ensemble; an African American Gospel Choir; a Japanese drumming group; and the 50 voice biennial choir, along with dance video and spoken word. It was, as the program said, "An interfaith celebration designed to build bridges of cultural exchange between various faith communities."

And that it did! Imagine a woman cantor and an Arabic singer standing together singing; a guitar playing Jew and a Gospel choir in harmony; an imam, minister and rabbi exchanging blessings in their own languages and joining arms beneath the rabbi's tallis. The music was powerful, and the connections were palpable and strong. It brought everyone to their feet, clapping, crying, singing... together. It also kicked off an anti-hunger project, with audience members taking home bags to pack with groceries.

It was a perfect example of the power and connection that perhaps only music can bring. The spirit that enables us to transcend difference and lifts us to new heights and a different place. Which is precisely why we are planning the Boston Jewish Music Festival. Our aim is create a way to connect, lift and empower us all through Jewish music. A way to celebrate and create harmony. We hope you'll join us in this venture. (And PS: we're talking to Craig Taubman about replicating Faithjam here in Boston in the near future).

Jim

It is through our music, our literature, our art, drama and dance that we tell the story of our past and we express our hopes for the future. Our artists challenge our assumptions in ways that many cannot and do not. They expand our understandings, and push us to view our world in new and very unexpected ways….. 

"It's through this constant exchange -- this process of taking and giving, this process of borrowing and creating -- that we learn from each other and we inspire each other.

 And ... people who might not speak a single word of the same language, who might not have a single shared experience, might still be drawn together when their hearts are lifted by the notes of a song, or their souls are stirred by a vision on a canvas.

"That is the power of the arts -- to remind us of what we each have to offer, and what we all have in common; to help us understand our history and imagine our future; to give us hope in the moments of struggle; and to bring us together when nothing else will.  That is what we celebrate here today.”  

Michelle Obama,  September 25, 2009

Thank you, Mrs. Obama. You have expressed why having a Boston Jewish Music Festival is so important.  Now, more than ever, we need the creativity, the joy, and the inspiration that great art offers us.  Whether you dance down the aisle to Golem and the Klezmer Conservatory Band or bask in the beauty of Bloch's choral masterpiece, The Sacred Service, you can help make this Festival happen.