From his Ziggy Stardust alter ego to his latest album — a jazzy, avant-garde rock release called “Blackstar” released just two days before his death — Bowie racked up some interesting Jewish connections.
In a d’var Torah he gave on Shabbat Nitzavim-Vayeilech several years ago, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, emeritus chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth, had this to say:
Judaism is a religion of words, and yet whenever the language of Judaism aspires to the spiritual it breaks into song, as if the words themselves sought escape from the gravitational pull of finite meanings. There is something about music that intimates a reality beyond our grasp. Words are the language of the mind. Music is the language of the soul….The Torah is God’s libretto, and we, the Jewish people, are God’s choir, the performers of God’s choral symphony.Indeed, it is our choirs and the music they generate that help create many of our most uplifting and highly spiritual moments.
It’s that time of the year again – time for Hanukkah parody videos! We’ve gathered a few of the best new debuts from across the web. Leave us a comment and let us know: What’s your favorite?
Multi-instrumentalist singer songwriter Josh Nelson shares his passion for music and Judaism by organizing Shabbat happenings for unaffiliated young Jews, performing and recording albums with his band the Josh Nelson Project, presenting learning workshops
Hineh mah tov umah na'im shevet achim gam yachad!
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for people to dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)
In the Jewish world, countless services and lifecycle events open with this verse, attributed to King David.
Together, we will champion the lessons of Passover by bringing greater wholeness, justice, and belonging to our world.