אָ֣ז יָשִֽׁיר־מֹשֶׁה֩ וּבְנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶת־הַשִּׁירָ֤ה הַזֹּאת֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔הֹ
“Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to God.”
—Exodus 15:1
Our biblical text refers many times to the special singing practices of our ancestors. While the sounds of Jewish music have undergone a continuous and steady evolution for as long as our tribe has been gathering, musical expression remains our constant. From the earliest shofar blows, to the musical rituals of the ancient Temple, to every corner of the earth where Jews have convened and celebrated, songs that include our mystical modes and words from our textual tradition continue to be perhaps our deepest well of inspiration, community connection, and shared expression of our yearning for the Divine.
This Shabbat, a unique musical duo from Atlanta will join us for a very special summer Shabbat celebration. Rabbi Micah Lapidus, who grew up here at Wise and is now composer-in-residence at The Temple in Atlanta, and his songwriting partner, gospel musician Melvyn Myles from the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, have worked on many sacred collaborations of music based on Jewish liturgy. Their music is a beautiful fusion of sounds and an uplifting exploration of our most cherished texts. The wonderful collaboration between them is also a reminder of how music can be a bridge for connecting us more deeply to our own heritage and also to others with common goals for creating a more caring and connected greater community of faith.
We hope that you will join us tomorrow evening for this special celebration in song, a sacred continuation of our musical legacy dating all the way back to Moses, Miriam, and the Israelites. From the earliest days of our peoplehood, music has allowed us to express our best intentions, and there is no doubt that our prayers tomorrow night will provide deep inspiration and connection. Hope to see (and hear!) you there.
—Cantor Emma Lutz
Preview some of Rabbi Micah Lapidus’ and Mevlyn Myles’ music here.