Spirituality

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Dad's Serenade To
Bride And Groom

British father of the bride re-creates
choral songs sung at his own wedding.

The wedding choir: Tom Wexelberg-Clouser, Barry Chesterman,

Paul Levine and Joe Lewis

Gabriella Ring

Teen2Teen Intern

I

n his hometown of
Bournemouth, England, in 1972,
Joe Lewis married Barbara
Naidoff of Philadelphia, Pa. In Oak
Park this month, the couple's young-
est child, Hannah, married Jonathan
Koller, son of Leah Bauer and Noah
Koller of Okemos. Despite the 37-year
gap between ceremonies, a binding
tradition remained.
At the English synagogue, the chaz-
zan and three men sang a medley of
beautiful Hebrew wedding tunes as
the Lewis' wedding gift. Joe Lewis
dreamed of singing the same music at
his own children's weddings.
Daughter Miriam married in 2006
— in Israel — but "it was too dif-
ficult to find three other people who
would be there who could learn the
music and get together to practice
Barbara Lewis said. But Joe fulfilled
his quartet-singing dream at Hannah's
wedding July 5 at Congregation Beth
Shalom in Oak Park.
Lewis, together with fellow Oak
Parkers Tom Wexelberg-Clouser and
Paul Levine, and Barry Chesterman of
Huntington Woods, formed a choir to
serenade the chatan and kallah (bride
and groom).
"I thought it was lovely," Hannah
said. "It was a group of people who
watched me grow up and were a really
great part of my life. It was really nice
that they organized together and spent
all that time preparing for us."

Mom agreed. "It was really nice
Barbara Lewis said. "The tears were
flowing. What can I say, it reminded
me of our wedding."
The choir rehearsed and seriously
studied the music for three months.
For Brits Chesterman and Lewis, the
music came more naturally than for
Americans Wexelberg-Clouser and
Levine.
It was "much more difficult for the
Americans than I expected;' Lewis
said. "Even though they're familiar
with the idea of singing, they were not
used to this music. They put an awful
lot of work in to get it."
Further challenging was that their
parts were the backup, not the melody.
The choir sang Ma Tovu "to start
things off and tell everybody, 'Here
we are, we're all in the sanctuary;" Joe
Lewis said.
When the couple arrived at the
chupah, the men sang Baruch Habah
and Psalm 100 as the bride circled the
groom.
"The arrangement for Psalm 100 is
the most beautiful piece of music in
Jewish music:' Lewis said. "It's better
than anything I ever heard. We got to
bring it to Hannah's wedding."
They also sang Mi Adir AI Hakol (the
one who is great above everything).
"When you have a wedding, you
want to pass on traditions to your
children:' Lewis said. "Of course,
Hannah was giving the gift to me." ❑

Gabriella Ring, 16, will be a junior at

Berkley High School.

Prioritizing Values

Shabbat Mattot-Masei: Numbers
30:2-36:13; Jeremiah 2:4-28; 3:4.

0

nce again this year, the final
flocks" (32:24). In other words, Moses
two portions of the fourth
is still teaching his followers though
of the Five Books of Moses
they are on the threshold of battle for
are combined in a single reading for
their own survival.
Shabbat. Our tradition sees the last
Reuben, Gad and half of Menashe
book (Devarim) as mishnah Torah,
were concerned first and foremost with
a review of the previous books and
their own physical possessions. They
stories.
insisted on protecting their cattle and
It will be Moses' farewell sermon; the only then would they build the cities
new generation is about to cross the
necessary to protect their children. But
Jordan River under new leadership. So
Moses led them to understand that
our narrative and lessons for this week
their commitment should be with a
mark the conclusion of
different priority — the real
the wilderness experience.
value of the land (about to
These chapters tell of battles
be conquered) and the ulti-
and journeys, of vows and
mate value of peoplehood is
values. The Israelites begin
protection of ourselves, our
to challenge themselves for
families and our future. Take
their new identity as a holy
care of your children first,
people.
he insists, then take care of
They are now in the 40th
your other physical posses-
and final year of wander-
sions.
ing. Neighboring nations
To be an Am Kadosh, a
Rabbi Norman
confront them, and the
holy
people, everyone must
T. Roman
descendants of Egyptian
accept
this thought. When
Special to the
slaves once again see that
Israel
inherits
the land, they
Jewish News
the Almighty is giving them
must understand that the
strength; they emerge victorious. But
sanctity of human life, individually and
the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half
collectively, comes first.
of Menashe choose to stay on the east
And finally, this discussion-negotia-
side of the Jordan; they bargain with
tion between Moses and the two and
Moses: "It would be a favor to us ... if
a half tribes forms the basis for a vital
this land were given to your servants as principle of Jewish law: t'na'im or con-
a holding. Do not move us across the
ditional contracts. An entire tractate of
Jordan." (32:5) Moses fears that all the
the Talmud and significant literature
Israelites, weary from battle and seeing has developed through the centuries,
the reticence of some of their kinsmen, as the Jewish people struggles with the
will not join in the conquest of Canaan. eternal challenge of prioritizing values
The two and one half tribes make
and maintaining the holiness of our
their offer: "We will build here sheep
life decisions.
holds for our flocks and towns for our
Whether in the wilderness or in
children" (32:16), and then we will join
modern civilization, we mark the end
our people's troops until the battles are of each book of our Torah or the suc-
won and the rest of the land is secured. cessful resolution of conflict with the
Moses responds however with a
phrase Chazak Chazak v'Nitchazek
significant, conditional change: If you
— we have been strong; we are strong,
help the rest of us and return to this
and we will strengthen each other."
land after the Eternal One has led us to
victory, then you can "build towns for
Norman T. Roman is rabbi at Temple Kol
your children and sheep holds for your
Ami in West Bloomfield.

❑

Conversations

As you read the story, were the tribes that wished to remain east of the
Jordan merely making an economic decision, grasping an opportunity to
develop a new place? Or were they isolating themselves from the rest
of the people? Was Moses correct in insisting that they join the battle
for the Promised Land? Do you think Moses would have responded any
differently if this encounter had taken place earlier in the wilderness
experience, rather than at its end?

16 ' 2009

A35

