We still sing things like “Had Gadya” and “Dayenu,” but seldom are they as memorable as the songs that come from the heart.
My three favorite PassoverPassover is a major Jewish holiday that commemorates the Jewish people's liberation from slavery and Exodus from Egypt. Its Hebrew name is Pesakh. Its name derives from the tenth plague, in which God "passed over" the homes of the Jewish firstborn, slaying only the Egyptian firstborn. Passover is celebrated for a week, and many diaspora Jews celebrate for eight days. The holiday begins at home at a seder meal and ritual the first (and sometimes second) night. Jews tell the story of the Exodus using a text called the haggadah, and eat specific food (matzah, maror, haroset, etc). songs are:
1. Leaving On A Jet Plane
2. Dance Me to the End of Love
3. Sounds of Silence
Since I am a musician, most people assume that I lead incredibly musical sedarim. While they are very celebratory, they are not particularly musical.
Since I make a living making music I try not to make music my life. I like to make a distinction between my role at work and my role at home. With that in mind we have created a tradition that allows the sederLit. Order. The festive meal conducted on Passover night, in a specific order with specific rituals to symbolize aspects of the Exodus from Egypt. It is conducted following the haggadah, a book for this purpose. The mystics of Sefat also created a seder for Tu B'shvat, the new year of the trees. to evolve on its own, with less intervening and frontal leading on my part.
My favorite Passover songs illustrate the point.
1. Leaving On a Jet Plane. Every holiday I ask my 84-year-old mother-in-law to free associate and share a song from her life’s journey. She loves musical theater; the Beatles; Peter, Paul and Mary; and Simon and Garfunkel. Last year’s free association was travel songs. Let me tell you, it is pretty cool to have everyone chime in on this classic new Passover song!
2. Dance Me Too The End Of Love. Tradition suggests that we share love songs from Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs) at the first seder. Last year we chose this classic Leonard CohenPriest. Descendants of Aaron who served in the Temple in Jerusalem. Today, in the absence of a Temple, Jews continue to keep track of who is a Cohen. A Cohen is accorded certain privileges in synagogue and is forbidden from entering a graveyard or marrying a divorcee. Priesthood is patrilineal – if one’s father was a Cohen, then one is a Cohen. song that had half the table in tears and the other half swooning!
3. Sounds of Silence. In truth, we did not sing this song, but it does reflect an important aspect of our seder. Music is not just the notes. It also is the silence between the notes. The only thing that can bring a group together as well as song is silence. We make room to sit quietly at our Passover festivities so that we can hear and feel the love of self, family, community and tradition.
We still sing things like “Had Gadya” and “Dayenu,” but seldom are they as memorable as the songs that come from the heart.
Chag Sameach!
For more Passover ideas and free music, visit www.craignco.com.
Craig Taubman is a musician who has engaged the Jewish community for almost 30 years. His passion for communal prayer is reflected in his CD projects, includingFriday Night Live, One ShabbatShabbat is the Sabbath day, the Day of Rest, and is observed from Friday night through Saturday night. Is set aside from the rest of the week both in honor of the fact that God rested on the seventh day after creating the world. On Shabbat, many Jews observe prohibitions from various activities designated as work. Shabbat is traditionally observed with festive meals, wine, challah, prayers, the reading and studying of Torah, conjugal relations, family time, and time with friends. Morning and, his newest release, How Good. Craig also creates soundtracks for Jewish life via his Celebrate series of music featuring hundreds of artists from all walks of life.
