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 […]
Menschology
Baruch Adonai
There’s a common adage that goes (and I’m paraphrasing here), “Whatever we’re looking for is what we will see.” Psalm 68:20, the basis for the song “Baruch Adonai” asks us to see God’s sustaining power in every day and every moment. If we look for this sustaining power can see it? I’m not sure. But […]
Sweetness and Light
For several thousands of years the Jewish People considered themselves to be God’s “Chosen People.” Our ancestors felt that God has chosen the Jewish People to help realize God’s vision for humanity and all creation. Sometimes the idea of being God’s chosen people was a source of comfort and a buffer against the difficulties […]
Praying with our Feet
As I’m writing this post our Davis Academy 5th graders are visiting the 16th Street Baptist Church and Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. It was that very field trip in 2015 that inspired the words and music of the 7th track on Menschology called, “Praying with our Feet.” Jews have a long history of praying […]
Love Wins
Love Wins. It may not always feel that way. It may not always be obvious. It may not mean that there isn’t a great struggle to get there or that real pain and suffering aren’t inflicted along the way. But Love Wins. There may be wounds that never fully heal and scars that always remind. […]
Laasok B’divrei Torah
The 3rd track on Menschology is a new interpretation of Judaism’s blessing for the study of Torah. The words, Laasok b’divrei Torah are part of that blessing and have the interesting meaning of “to busy oneself with words of Torah.” Many people confuse the word “Laasok” with the more common Hebrew word “Laasot.” The latter means, […]