My recent posts…

It’s Our Story

Last week’s Torah reading was mostly the story of Noah and the Flood. One of the more curious elements of the tale is what happens when the earth dries out enough for the animals and their human tenders to exit the vessel.

Bee Juice

My recent posts...After havdala ended last week’s Galeem (“waves,” our Sunday school), the usual joyful mayhem erupted in the lobby: Kids running down halls for a water bottle, a work of art, a lollipop; parents calling after them “Remember your ________!”; brief...

Welcome to”chol”

A couple days of magnificent weather have been a welcome respite from the bounty of precipitation during Sukkot and the closing festival days. This morning, we stored away our sukkah — unscathed by the nor’easter — for next year.

Kol Nidre – All Vows

My recent posts...kol nidrei, all MY vows? Rabbi Jonathan Kremer kol nidrei, all vows. ALL vows? All my vows? How can I possibly remember them all? Those silent frustrations: I swear I could... I said what? Well, I didn't mean it that way! The thick-as-mud silent...

Yom Kippur Singing

Oct 7, 2024 | A Rabbi Writes

Over the decades, I have composed melodies for some of the texts we use in our prayer services. (I’ve written English interpretations of the texts for a few of them.)

Some of them are posted here so we can sing them together at Shirat Hayam and, even if not used there, simply for your listening pleasure. More tunes (and another CD of original songs) will be available in later autumn 2025 on a CD and for digital download at www.jonathankremer.com.

 

harofei: (Psalms 147:3) a song to accompany (or to serve as) a prayer for healing.
ki hinei kachomer (Mahzor Lev Shalem p. 227) As clay in the hands of the potter…so are we in Your hand, Guardian of love…
ya’ale: (Mahzor Lev Shalem p. 223) May our voices rise up at evening…transforming us at dusk.
Credits:
harofei: Joe Handler, piano; Jodi Handler, vocal.
ki hinei kachomer: Ken Ulansey, sax
ya’ale: Susan Davenport-Elsayed, violin

All melodies and English texts ©Jonathan Kremer. Bery Happy Music/ASCAP.