NOVEMBER 14 • 2019 | 53
With One Breath
Temple Israel’
s new CD explores the congregation’
s
cohesiveness in prayer through music.
SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
PHOTOS BY MAYA GRINBOIM
I
n other circumstances, the event might
be called a record release party.
This event comes in the form of a
festive Shabbat service as Temple Israel
introduces a new recording made by the
religious staff in collaboration with musical
talents based in the United States, Canada
and Israel.
With One Breath, featuring traditional
Hebrew prayers that are part of Temple
Israel services and set to the music of
today’
s composers, will be performed
Friday evening, Nov. 22,
just days after the recording
is made available Nov. 18
through free web distribu-
tion.
Twelve soundtracks are
being accompanied by a
video of the first track,
“Hinei Ma Tov.
” Free CDs
will be given out to those
attending the formal intro-
duction, where vocalists
and band members will
present live renditions of
what they have recorded.
“We have created a cel-
ebration of Jewish music
that brings together the
sounds of Ashkenazic and
Sephardic Judaism,
” says
Cantor Michael Smolash,
at the helm of the five-
year project as funded by
the Gottlieb family in memory of Stephen
Gottlieb, who delighted in playing music as
well as listening to others.
“One goal was to present the music of
Temple Israel and Reform Judaism in a way
that would reach out to people’
s lives. The
second was to introduce new congregants
to our music so they can enjoy listening to
it and be very comfortable having learned
the melodies on their own. The third is to
put up new music people haven’
t heard.
“I think the few new pieces will be use-
ful to congregations all over the country
and will add to the musical life of Reform
Judaism,
” Smolash said.
This Temple Israel recording, which fol-
lows the recordings Kavanat Haruach and
We Are One, also will be available at
temple-israel.org/album. The digital source
also has transliterations, translations and
credit listings of participants, who did not
have to be together in a single studio to join
in the music.
Through technology, the base recording
was enhanced with the sounds of distant
add-ons, such as a Celtic whistle
and oud in Toronto and a
dumbek in Tel Aviv.
Ari Posner, who scores
award-winning Canadian tele-
vision series and films, was
the recording producer and
arranger as well as composer of
two pieces, “Barchu” and “Mi
Chamocha.
”
“I think this recording is an
eclectic musical journey, and I
hope it will be uplifting to people
in a spiritual way but also in an
enjoying music kind of way,
”
says Posner, who has worked on
Anne, X Company and Flashpoint
as they gained series popularity.
“The text and lyrics come from
prayers and liturgy, but I feel the
songs stand on their own as just
good songs enjoyable to listen to.
”
Joining the local musicians is violist
and violinist Sonia Lee, who has worked
with Josh Groban and Billy Joel. Besides
Smolash, vocals are performed by Cantor
Neil Michaels, Rabbi Jennifer Lader, stage
and recording artist Jacob “Spike” Kraus
and Emma Trivax, who sings at services.
“Choneini,
” the third track, has to do
with the theme of healing. With music
composed by Smolash, it has a voiceover
reading by Rabbi Paul Yedwab.
The cantor explains the title of the
recording has to do with the feeling of
cohesiveness pervasive in the congregation
as expressed, in part, through music.
“
At Temple Israel services, when we’
re
singing and praying together, there’
s some-
thing about breath and singing and spirit
that really unites us all,
” he says. “That was
what the recording was getting at — getting
everyone to meet together in active prayer,
with one breath, as it were.
”
details
With One Breath will
be introduced during
services at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov.22, at
Temple Israel in West
Bloomfield. (248) 661-
5700. temple-israel.org.
Cantors Michaels and Smolash with Rabbi Jennifer
Lader and congregational soloist Emma Trivax
Cantor Neil Michaels, composer/producer Ari Posner,
sound engineer Jacob Shives, bass player James
Simonson, percussionist Danny Cox and Cantor
Michael Smolash
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