From My desk 2025-05

Jewish Culture and Ritual Bring Communal Happiness

With all the emotional distress that has dogged the Jewish people since October 2023, it’s important to seek occasions that relieve us. We all must begin the process of returning to happier lives, even as we still pray fervently for the return of the remaining hostages in Gaza, and reflect on the human toll the war in Gaza has had on soldiers of the IDF and their families.

Fortunately, the first week in April afforded me (and quite a few other Jews) this welcome respite. The first event took place at Severance Music Hall in Cleveland. The violin virtuoso Yitzchak Pearlman took the stage along with the Klezmer Conservatory Band. Together, they played for more than an hour to a packed house of enthusiastic attendees. I am one of them.

The audience soaked up the European Jewish sound that Klezmer offers. Klezmer songs can be considered Jewish “soul music”. Klezmer music is the traditional instrumental music of Yiddish speaking Jews of Eastern Europe (the Ukraine, Belorussia, Lithuania, Moldavia, Poland, Rumania, Hungary and Slovakia). Perhaps because so many descendants of those European Jews live here in Northeast Ohio, this music has a great appeal. Yet, the style and power of this music seems to penetrate the souls even of young people, who did not grow up hearing it. At one point in the concert, quite a few people got up to dance. Among them were people in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Klezmer music is a wonderful way of transmitting and revealing certain hard-to-describe feelings about the delight we take in Jewish life. At the end of that particularly lively selection, everyone - including those who chose not to dance - was smiling broadly, and applauding vigorously. The collective “Jewish soul” in the concert hall had come to life!

I found it surprising that, scattered amongst the typical joyful klezmer tunes, the band included Shabbat prayers- Yismechu Bemalchutcha (from the Musaf service) and Shalom Aleichem (from the Friday night service). The melody they used for Shalom Aleichem was composed by Israel Goldfarb, early in the 20th century. It’s perhaps the most easily recognizable melody in all of Jewish life, today. Its plaintive tune draws out another hard-to-describe feeling that is deeply embedded in the Jewish psyche. The desire for peace, which has been bred into the Jew, finds its expression on a weekly basis in the poem and music of Shalom Aleichem. “Peace be unto You, Ye Angels of Peace”.

Peace is perhaps the greatest gift for which Jews pray; not just weekly, but every day. Each Amidah prayer, recited three times a day, ends with the plea that God place peace into the world. Naturally, we can’t depend only on God to accomplish this. So, it has become ingrained in the Jew to work actively for peace. But peace is elusive. Whenever Jewish people are unable to achieve peace, other nations are unable to achieve it, as well. It has been noted more than once that the Jews are “the canary in the coal mine”. If the Jews are threatened, it won’t be long for the nations of the world to be so threatened. And, when the Jews pray for peace, we pray with a certain wistfulness (hum the familiar melody of Shalom Aleichem to yourself, and you will intuit what I mean). Peace is perhaps the greatest blessing of all, and, perhaps, the most difficult to achieve- both nationally, and personally. When Yitzchak Pearlman and the Klezmer Conservatory band played that melody, you could hear gentle humming coming from the crowd. Perhaps genuine prayer took place in Severance Hall that evening.

I attended a Pidyon Ha-Ben that week, as well; the second event which brought me joy. I still held the joy of the concert, and this delightful occasion reinforced my happiness. Here was a celebration involving a Jewish family that delights in Jewish tradition. Rejoicing with this young Jewish family and their month- old son reminded me that no force on earth can stop the Jewish people from moving forward. True, the last 18 months have been harrowing. But, with Jewish songs on our lips, and Jewish rituals to celebrate, our people will overcome any adversity, and flourish. And we will teach the love of Jewish life, culture, thought and practice to our next generation, as well. That’s something about which we can all be very happy.

Rabbi Seth Sternstein