Something Not to Miss.....

Yesterday I watched the Rosh Hashanah services on my computer.  It was perhaps one of the most uplifting experiences I have had, certainly in the past year.  The streaming feed came from the Central Synagogue in New York City.  It was billed and designed as a virtual service, and since I have watched the High Holy Days services from this synagogue for the past two years, I sort of knew what to expect, or I thought I did....  In years past they had a full congregation present, and the viewer was simply present at the synagogue as a 'distant' observer.  

 

Yesterday was different.  These folks really thought about what a virtual service in these times under these conditions would look like and planned and executed it with great skill and intelligence.  This was a production that was conceived for ME.  It made me a part of the experience in a personal and engaging way.  Of course there was no one in the temple, save for the half dozen or so people who appeared:  the Rabbi (Angela Buchdahl--more about her in a minute!), 2 cantors with amazing voices and musical skill, a master of ceremonies and a four piece musical group.  The Bima and staging was incredibly beautiful.  The lighting was inspiring and subtle, yet dramatic in its simplicity.   As always with this temple, the music was stunning and so elegantly performed.  The net result was a personal experience that was moving, especially the way the service was designed to make use of all current technologies.  Participants for parts of the service were 'Zoomed' at the appropriate moments to do an aliyah or read a Torah portion or to blow the shofar.

 

But the real gems in this experience were the sermon by Rabbi Buchdahl and the

personal story by one of the congregation members that metaphorically related to the Haftorah portion.  This Rabbi is an exceptional person.  Not only is she incredibly intelligent, thought provoking and masterful at creating a message that leaves one with a feeling of understanding and insight, but she also is a remarkable musician, participating in the musical moments as well.....and there were many of them.  Her sermon was amazingly contemporary in her reference to the trials we are all going through with isolation, the virus, and our political trauma.  It was brilliantly constructed and delivered.  I was in awe of her.

 

This 'production' was carefully constructed to be rich in emotional visual and musical content.  The way the production was mounted and executed made me, the viewer, feel like this entire 2-hour experience was just for me.  As a television producer/director I can tell you--this is not an easy thing to do!  The production value, the attentiveness to direct eye contact with the camera, the feeling that the message was tailored for me were spot on.

 

So for all of you out there who feel the vacuum caused by not being able to attend services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, I would urge you to give this experience a chance.  I am making the assumption that Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur streaming services will deliver the same level of quality and meaning that this first Rosh Hashanah service had yesterday.  Here is the link to the streaming portal, and if I were you, I would not miss the Kol Nidre service on Sunday, 9/27 at 8:00pm.   

https://hhd.centralsynagogue.org/live-streaming