2017 was a great year for Hello, Goodbye, & Peace. The year started off with our annual MLK Interfaith Shabbat Service where HG&P serves as the house band, accompanying the joined choirs of Ebenzer Baptist Church and The Temple. Including 3-4 original HG&P compositions is always a personal highlight but nothing beats joining arms and […]
Holidays
Mi Yimaleil, A New Chanukah Melody
I’m very proud of this version of Mi Yimaleil that I wrote and which will be released on an upcoming Davis Academy/Hello, Goodbye, & Peace album. Mi Yimaleil emphasizes the heroism of the Maccabees in their struggle against the Greeks during the time of the Chanukah story. While the Maccabees left a complex legacy that […]
The Blessing of Torah
Yesterday and today are Simchat Torah. Simchat Torah is a holiday that celebrates the end and the beginning of the annual cycle of Torah reading observed by Jewish communities around the world. Every time that Jews study Torah we recite a blessing. That blessing concludes with the words la’asok b’divrei Torah. We thank God for the […]
Shemini Atzeret
What is Shemini Atzeret? I can’t imagine how many Jews have asked that question and are still left wondering! Here’s a bit of an explanation/interpretation. Shemini Atzeret is a festival that follows immediately on the heels of Sukkot, one of the 3 major festivals of Jewish tradition. Because Shemini Atzeret starts just as Sukkot […]
Predictions for 5778
Here are some predictions for 5778. I’m pretty confident they’ll come to pass. 5778 will be a year of… radical love and radical hatred profound peace and profound violence deep connection and deep alienation wisdom and folly clarity and ambiguity health and sickness laughter and tears life and death progress and decline momentum and […]
Overcoming Boredom: Rabbinic Advice for High Holy Day Services
In spite of our collective best efforts, I still hear people reporting anticipatory boredom when discussing their upcoming attendance at High Holy Day services. It’s a shame for a couple of reasons. First, High Holy Day services actually aren’t boring at all. Second, with all that life has to offer, there’s no reason to […]