Brooklyn Boro

Faith In Brooklyn for May 18

May 18, 2017 By Francesca Norsen-Tate, Religion Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Cantor Bruce Ruben of the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue. Photo credit: Judith Clurman
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Joint Choral Ensembles to Present ‘Eastern European Roots’ Musical Shabbat

The Brooklyn Heights Synagogue presents “Eastern European Roots,” a special music Shabbat service, on Friday, June 2, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. In the course of the service the congregation will also celebrate the installation of new members of the board of trustees. The synagogue is located at 131 Remsen St. and easily reached by numerous subway lines to the Borough Hall subway stop.

Joining Cantor Bruce Ruben will be the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue Choir and members of Essential Voices USA. Judith Clurman will conduct the joint ensemble. Keyboard accompanist will be Miriam Daly.

For many years the dedicated members of the BHS choir have sung exclusively at High Holy Day services.  In recent years, under the direction of Cantor Bruce Ruben, the role of the choir has expanded.  The choir has sung at special music services at the synagogue featuring Israeli and Sephardic music, at Interfaith Thanksgiving services, at Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend observances with the First Presbyterian Church, and at Yom Hashoah services at Congregation Beth Elohim.

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The musical selections, by Eastern European composers and their American descendants, utilize the traditional Jewish prayer modes as well as Hasidic influences, both of which permeated the Eastern European Ashkenazic musical palette in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  The service will include music by Abraham Dunajewsky (1843-1911), a Russian-born synagogue composer and conductor who flourished in Odessa; Morris Barash (1903-1977), composer and music director for prominent cantors including David Koussevitzky and Moshe Ganchoff;  Lazar Weiner (1897-1982), raised in Kiev before coming to the U.S. where he became a prominent synagogue composer and champion of Yiddish art song; Solomon Ancis (1843-1945), Ukrainian cantor, choral director, educator, and composer, who emigrated to the U.S. in the 1920s;  Ben Steinberg (b. 1930), son of a Canadian cantor and conductor, who imbued his many synagogue compositions with traditional Eastern European character; and Charles Davidson (b. 1929), retired professor at the Miller Cantorial School and prolific synagogue composer.

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Christ Church Holds ‘Environmental Evensong’

Christ Church, Cobble Hill (Episcopal), will celebrate spring with a service of Choral Evensong focused on the environment, with a Rogation Procession and Blessing of the Garden. This special liturgy, observing Rogation Sunday, takes place on May 21 at 4 p.m., followed by food and drink traditional to the season.

The Christ Church Choir and the Cobble Hill Consort, under the direction of Donald C Barnum, Jr, will sing the choral pieces of the service.  All are cordially invited to attend.

Evensong is one of the great treasures of the Anglican tradition, is an afternoon service which features psalms, hymns, choral music and lessons.

The Rogation Days are the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before Ascension Day. The Sunday before the Rogation Days came to be known as Rogation Sunday.  Special hymns, litanies and prayers were said as the population processed around their fields, asking God’s protection and blessing on the crops that were just beginning to sprout. The Latin word rogare means “to ask,” thus these were “rogation” processions. On Sunday a procession will be made to the Church Garden.

During the procession the Litany of the Saints, which is particularly appropriate on this occasion, or the Great Litany, is sung. The Rogation Days remind the faithful that all are part of creation and dependent upon both nature and one’s fellow humans for the necessities of life. Similarly, the Litany of the Saints is a reminder that that each part of creation — human, animal and plant — are also part of something larger spiritually, the Communion of Saints, and dependent upon God’s grace and our fellow saints, both living and departed, for spiritual support and sustenance.

Traditionally the route of the rogation walk was around the boundaries of the parish, which was a civil as well as a religious unit. This is still the case in England. Thus, the processions were useful in teaching people — particularly the young — their parish boundaries. Known as “beating the bounds,” the marchers beat the boundary marker with the willow wands.  The reminder of boundaries had another important impact on communal life.

Rogationtide is also linked to the tradition of seeking reconciliation in personal relationship. The sharing of a specially brewed ale, called Ganging Beer, and an unusual pastry called Rammalation Biscuits at the end of the walk was a good way of sealing the reconciliation, and an apt conclusion to this springtime outing focused on the land and the environment.  In this spirit, traditional food and drink will be available to be shared in the Christ Church Garden after this service.

For more information, call Christ Church at 718-624-0083.

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Oasis Christian Singles Ministry Holds Annual Spring Dinner

Join Christian single adults of all ages, from all walks of life and from all denominations from throughout the tri-state area for a Christ-centered evening featuring a hot Italian buffet dinner and dessert, fellowship and worship.

A message will be shared titled “The Overcoming Life,” with a Q&A to follow. Hundreds of singles have been attending these events for 20 years. The venue is Lefferts Park Church, 7524 14th Ave. in Dyker Heights. The evening begins at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 20. Admission is $15 at the door. Tickets cannot be reserved ahead of time. Visit www.CompleteinChrist.com for directions.

 


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