Author Archives: Linda

Choir Festival Shows Power of Interfaith Gatherings

By | | Jewish muse
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As a teen, I cringed when I was forced to listen to a Christian youth band lead the audience in songs praising Jesus at a public school assembly. But as an adult, when the choice is mine, hearing music of other faiths can bring me to tears. I may not understand all of the words. What moves me is hearing others sing from the soul.

A few weeks ago, I was both participant and observer during the sixth annual Lexington Choral Festival. The name of the festival is a bit of … Continue reading →

Making Challah Teaches Lessons about Life

By | | Jewish muse
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Challah and how it is made has always had a mystique to me. Raised in a non-observant Jewish household, I never saw anyone make the golden, braided bread. As an adult, I bought it often, figuring baking a loaf of challah was beyond my reach. This year, as a secular New Year’s resolution, I made a vow I had avoided for years: I would learn how to make challah.

The New Year is just a few months old, and I have made challah, not once, but twice. Making challah, I now … Continue reading →

Never Underestimate Child’s Capacity to Learn Prayer

By | | Jewish muse
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Sometimes, our children teach us as much as we try to teach them. In a fleeting moment, my almost 3-year-old shows that he has the capacity to learn about prayer. And he surprises me by how he is able to internalize what he hears. You are a blessing, I tell him. Mommy and Daddy are my blessing, he says in return. Continue reading →

Renowned cantor, composer teaches humility

By | | Jewish muse
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My understanding of Hebrew is limited. Rarely do I get the time to intensely learn the meaning of a single prayer. Recently, a renowned cantor gave me that chance. Actually, cantor and composer Linda Hirschhorn gave me no choice but to understand a prayer before I sang it in front of others.

Cantor Hirschhorn, whose specialty is a cappella, recently came to Temple Isaiah of Lexington as an artist-in-residence. She led about 30 of us in 14 hours of rehearsal spread over four days. We then performed with her in … Continue reading →

Jewish Toddler’s Santa Encounter at Hanukkah: Is this parental faux pas?

By | | Jewish muse
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>Our almost 3-year-old son met Santa Claus for the first time last week during Hanukkah. He loves live music so we took him to a local holiday pops concert as a Hanukkah present. Santa showed up to lead Jingle Bells and other holiday – well, Christmas – tunes. It looked and sounded like Christmas everywhere we went.

Egads. Have we committed a Hanukkah faux pas with our child? I don’t think so. It presents challenges, but it’s okay for a Jewish child to brush elbows with Santa Claus, a figure important in the lives of many of our friends. It’s not a holiday Jews celebrate, but Christmas is a big presence in America. Still, it is a challenge to figure out the best way to explain Christmas trappings to a child just starting to develop a Jewish identity. Continue reading →