A DEMENT SHOFAR

who were forced to convert to will, he said.
Catholicism.
"You have to keep it fresh be-
"I feel myself in a cave, in se- cause there are new generations
cret. By having a certain refer- that come along," Cantor Shi-
ence of mind, your sincerity mansky said.
transmits itself, hopefully, to the
The High Holidays are spiri-
hearts of the congregation. But tually, musically and physically
you can only do that if
challenging; they demand
you're in the right frame of Cantor Harold hours of cantorial trilling.
Orba ch of
mind," he explained. "It's an Tempi
"The High Holidays are
e Israel.
awesome responsibility to
wonderful if I'm healthy
make a service meaningful."
and in good voice," he said.
Cantor Shimansky, Beth
Cantor Orbach also rehearses
Achim's cantor for 16 years, said with the Temple Israel choir.
he begins working on music for
He makes sure not only that
the High Holidays after Passover. they sing the proper notes "but
That means he listens to record- are in the proper frame of refer-
ings, looks for old and new musi- ence and mind," he explained.
cal selections, and hums.
"The services are much more
This year, he searched for new difficult because they're much
musical arrangements while he longer than on Shabbat," he said.
was in Israel. He may not use "I appreciate it because of all the
them this year, but next year he work that goes into it." ❑

Smaller congregations and the
non-mainstream have different
sounds for the holidays.

LYNNE KONSTANTIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

he "most wonderful time of the the chanting of the service has
year" is upon us, and area vo- changed with the times — at least at
calists are tuning up their "in- some area congregations.
There is one pronounced change
struments."
A large part of the beauty and common to several: Not only has the
spirituality of the High Holiday ser- service drastically evolved, but the
vices is due to the skills of the chaz- job of the cantor seems to have been
eradicated.
zan. In previous centuries, the
What that person has been
duties of the chazzan — or can- Maria C imarelli
director replaced with is a joint effort of
tor — went beyond melodious is at music
Birmi ngham
congregants, as well as outside
davening: The cantor assisted
Tem pie.
musicians, combining to musi-
the rabbi in holding the con-
gregation — thus, the community — cally elevate congregants according
to the credo of the particular institu-
together.
Well, this is the '90s, and like every- tion.
Alan Schenk, president of Congre-
thing else, the needs of the people and

I