On December 10, Stephen Wise Free Synagogue’s Israeli outreach initiative, Chofshi B’Manhattan, launched the New York City area’s first Hebrew writers’ workshop.

Participants travelled from as far as Europe and Canada to participate in the workshop, which is led by Israeli poet and children’s book author Orit Gidali, with special appearances by novelist Eshkol Nevo.

The 10-session workshop, comprised of meetings at Stephen Wise and sessions conducted via Skype, is a unique collaboration between Chofshi B’Manhattan and Sadnaot HaBait, an elite writing workshop in Israel that Gidali and Nevo founded 15 years ago. Sadnaot HaBait has helped nurture more than 1,000 creative talents, including 30 published authors and eight writers who have won prestigious literary awards.

“We hosted Eshkol Nevo for a talk last year and received wonderful feedback, with several participants suggesting that we should host a Hebrew writers’ workshop,” said Sarit Ron, director of Chofshi B’Manhattan. “We’re thrilled to bring this great idea to life, thanks to the talent and dedication of Orit Gidali and Eshkol Nevo.”

Stephen Wise Free Synagogue’s Chofshi  B’Manhattan (“Free in Manhattan”) program creates a home for New York City area Israeli-Americans who are interested in taking part in Jewish Israeli-style events.

Photo: Orit Gidali (right) meets with a student.

Many children tell me that Hanukkah is their favorite holiday. I know they are thinking about presents, parties, sufganiyot (donuts), and dreidel games.

Hanukkah is actually a relatively minor Jewish holiday; it isn’t even mentioned in the Torah. But since it takes up such a big place in so many of our hearts, it’s worth reflecting on how we can make it especially meaningful. Here are some simple ways to bring out the beautiful Hanukkah themes of gratitude, warmth, and hope.

1. Focus on candle lighting. Nothing makes the holiday more memorable and important than sharing the moments of standing together in front of the menorah. These are the memories that will carry forward. Light is a metaphor.

2. Talk about the miracle. The legend of the oil that was supposed to last for just one day but that lasted for eight is imbued with hope and optimism. This is a beautiful teaching to share with our children.

3. Connect with family and friends. Whether you invite friends over for latkes or Facetime with grandparents or other relatives, Hanukkah invites us to share the light with others.

4. Give to the needy. How about designating one night for those in need? Instead of giving your children presents, teach your children how to give to those in need. Perhaps you could make out a bunch of checks in small amounts and your children can select the organizations to which you will donate. Or maybe you can make a stack of sandwiches and go out and distribute them to people in need on the streets. There are endless ways to help.

5. Spin the dreidel! In order to play dreidel you need to sit on the floor with your children and be completely present. You can’t check your cellphone because you might miss the moment when the dreidel lands on its letter. There is no gift we can give to our children as great as our full attention.

May this Hanukkah be filled with meaning and joy for you and your family.

Rabbi Samantha Natov is the assistant rabbi at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue. Among her many roles, she leads our Family Experiences, an array of joyous and interactive services and activities for families with children. 

VIEW HANUKKAH-THEMED FAMILY EXPERIENCES

On December 1, more than 120 early childhood educators from across New York City gathered together at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue’s Early Childhood Center (ECC) as part of a special symposium focused on “Making the Stories of Learning Visible.”

The symposium was sponsored by Teaching Beyond the Square, a nonprofit that works to improve the quality of early childhood education for all children.

“It is a great honor to share our knowledge with other educators,” said Lori Schneider, director of the Early Childhood Center. “We are proud to continue our tradition of inviting fellow educators to observe how we integrate Jewish and Reggio Emilia ideas into our philosophy.”

A panel discussion illuminated how the ECC fosters students’ sense of inquiry throughout the many spaces they inhabit. Panelists and ECC teachers Allie Baylson, Melissa Hume, Liz McBride, Elaine Perez- Rojas, and Jenna Samotin — as well as Miriam Kalmar, assistant director of the ECC, and Lori Schneider, director — shared recent projects, including their 2016 Hallwayscapes initiative, the installation of interactive experiences in the main hallway of the ECC. Thoughtfully prepared materials such as film, water, and photography encouraged children to experiment and explore.

 After the panel discussion, participants shared takeaways and best practices about documentation — a critical component of the ECC’s Reggio Emilia-inspired philosophy — in small groups before touring ECC classrooms and play areas.

“Having visited the ECC more than 20 years ago, it was exciting to observe the incredible growth, commitment, and passion the school has created using the Reggio-inspired approach,” said Susan Hershman, an early childhood development specialist who participated in the conference.  

Founded in 1949, the Early Childhood Center at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue provides children ages 18 months through 5 years with a nurturing environment infused with Jewish values and inspired by the world-renowned schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, which value children as capable, strong, and rich with wonder and knowledge.

Photo of 2016 Early Childhood Center Hallwayscapes installation

In his first Shabbat sermon after an election that left many American Jews reeling, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch offered words of consolation and action.

“I have not witnessed this widespread and communal sense of loss, anxiety, fear, and profound sadness since 9/11,” Rabbi Hirsch said to the hundreds of people who had gathered together for services. “Since Wednesday, in various random get-togethers, people speak in hushed tones almost as if they are at shiva.”

Rabbi Hirsch urged listeners not to retreat from the political process. “Get more involved,” he said. “Be more active. It is the antidote to emotional distress and political loss.”

“It is more important now than ever to teach our children to be loving, compassionate, caring, gentle, and kind, even if these traits are not always exhibited by our political leaders.”

“There is something ennobling, inspiring and immensely patriotic in opposing majority will if the majority is wrong. It bespeaks a deep-seated belief in democracy.”

Stephen Wise Free Synagogue has served as a catalyst for social action for more than 100 years. A champion for social justice, civil rights, and the Jewish people, the synagogue’s founder, Stephen Wise (1874–1949), was one of the most prominent Jewish leaders of the 20th century. Stephen Wise Free Synagogue was the first synagogue to open a shelter for the homeless and was the first synagogue in the United States to install a female rabbi.

Download a PDF of this sermon.

Jane Berkowitz
Shabbat Greeter, Member since 2005

“I always give what I can to the Yom Kippur Appeal. For me, this is an integral part of being a good Jew and taking part in our community. I know that my money helps others who may not be as fortunate as I am enjoy synagogue life.”

Wise Connections Include
Alternative worship services, social action committee, membership and engagement committee, trips and missions

Why I Volunteer as a Shabbat Greeter
“I want to do my part to make people feel welcome. It’s important for people to feel that they’ve made a good investment in Stephen Wise for friendship, community, and spiritual life.”

To support the Yom Kippur Appeal, visit swfs.org/give or contact Sandy Divack Moss at sdmoss@swfs.org or 212-877-4050, ext. 227.

Photo by Travis Rainey

The code of Jewish law asks this question: If a community only has the resources for a cantor or a rabbi, which should they select? The answer, says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, senior rabbi at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, is that the cantor is more important because only the chazzan can open up the gates of heaven for prayer.

So it was with the highest criteria that Rabbi Hirsch and lay leaders of the congregation evaluated potential cantors soon after Rabbi Hirsch was installed as senior rabbi in 2004. Still, when Cantor Daniel Singer, a booming bass-baritone and recent graduate of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion’s Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music, presented himself for the position, Rabbi Hirsch was awed. “Of all the cantors I met, he was the best and most talented. From listening to him and peering into his Jewish soul — his neshema we say in Hebrew — I knew he would open the gates of heaven for our people.”

Cantor Singer was hired, and in partnership with Rabbi Hirsch, set out to transform what was a small, struggling synagogue into the vibrant congregation it has become 10 years later.

Before the gates of heaven could be opened by Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, people would need a place to sit. The sanctuary’s original pews were falling apart — weekly donations went to various repairs. “We were at a very low ebb in our congregational life, with maybe 15 people showing up at Friday night services,” recalls former synagogue president Stephan Lynn.

Cantor Singer was attracted to the challenge — part of what led him to be a cantor was his desire to have an impact on his community. When he was finishing a master’s in voice performance at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, his father was diagnosed with cancer. Singer found himself reflecting deeply on his father’s career as a librarian in Superior, Wisconsin, where he was a fixture in their community. “My dad’s illness forced me to ask: What would be my legacy?”

Although his father was observant and his mother was Israeli, Cantor Singer did not grow up as part of a synagogue community. “I realized that it would be amazing to use my musical gifts as a cantor to help build a Jewish community,” recalls Cantor Singer. At age 23, two weeks after his father passed away, Cantor Singer had a bar mitzvah.

The pews were not the only antiquated aspect of Stephen Wise; the synagogue’s approach to music was also out of date. An electric piano with a noticeable delay simulated the sound of a grand piano, and an organist and small chorus of congregants accompanied services.

Cantor Singer decided they needed a real piano. “The best piano,” Rabbi Hirsch told Cantor Singer, even though they had no budget for it. To Cantor Singer, that meant a Bösendorfer, the famed Austrian brand.

The timing was fortuitous. In fierce competition with Steinway, which had a stranglehold on most New York City venues, Bösendorfer was searching for places in the city to feature its pianos. “The owner of the New York showroom happened to be tuning a piano near Lincoln Center,” Cantor Singer recalls. “When I told him our location, he said he would be over in five minutes. Upon testing the acoustics, he said that our sanctuary would be the perfect place to feature their largest piano, the Imperial.”

After Bösendorfer secured two large donations and Cantor Singer solicited his network for the remaining balance, the deal was done. News of the renowned piano attracted the attention of local orchestras, choruses, and other ensembles that would ultimately rent the sanctuary for rehearsals. In the summer of 2007, just before the sanctuary was renovated, one of the last Bösendorfer pianos that was handcrafted in Austria was installed at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue.

If You Build It, They Will Come

The transformation happened almost overnight. Rabbi Hirsch and Cantor Singer made worship the synagogue’s life force. “Even though avodah

is one of the pillars of Judaism, it’s often peripheral,” says Cantor Singer. “We wanted to put worship at the center of the synagogue experience in a way that was meaningful to Jews of all backgrounds.”

Cantor Singer transitioned the synagogue’s organist of more than 40 years from Shabbat services to a sacred music series that featured the organ and classical Reform music on Sundays. He reinvented the volunteer choir as a Musical Mitzvah group that travelled to local hospitals and nursing homes, building upon the social service mission of the synagogue’s founder, Rabbi Stephen Wise. “Instead of singing for each other, we bring joy to people beyond our walls,” Cantor Singer says.

Under Cantor Singer’s leadership, Stephen Wise was the first Reform synagogue in New York City to enjoy the sounds of a full band at Shabbat services every week — percussion, violin, flute, clarinet, bass, and electric guitar. The services also feature more Hebrew and traditional liturgy than any other Reform synagogue. “We built a service with the intention of attracting worshippers on a very wide spectrum — from secular, Reform, halachic, and Israeli backgrounds, with an emphasis on Hebrew,” says Cantor Singer.

To make Hebrew prayers accessible and participatory, Cantor Singer composed his own versions of most of the standard prayers, including Shir Chadash (“A New Song”) and Kol Adonai (“The Voice of God”), with memorable tunes and repeating patterns so that non-Hebrew speakers could easily learn them. “Dan created a style that is accessible to modern Jews but at the same time is rooted musically and spiritually in very deep Jewish sentiments that go all the way back to Sinai,” says Rabbi Hirsch. “People started flowing in.”

L’Dor Vador

Jay O’Brien remembers spotting a ukulele in Cantor Singer’s office soon after he started working at Stephen Wise as a cantorial intern in 2012. “Dan’s just the type to have a ton of instruments lying around his office,” says O’Brien, who now serves as cantor at Congregation Solel of Highland Park, Illinois.

Cantor Singer’s fluency with multiple instruments, including guitar and piano, inspired O’Brien to pick up ukulele and learn to lead services from the piano. Most of all, O’Brien hopes to emulate Cantor Singer’s selflessness. “It’s not so common for musicians to want to share the spotlight,” O’Brien says, “but that’s his personality. It’s very special — he really trusts and creates space for other people on the bimah, whether it’s b’nai mitzvah celebrants, congregants, or fellow clergy.”

Now a mentor to both new and experienced cantors — he is one of the youngest members nominated by his peers as an officer to the executive board of the American Conference of Cantors — Cantor Singer is adamant that cantors are “just a vessel. We need to get our egos out of the way so that people can connect to God.”

Cantor Singer also believes that cantors should aspire to be leaders of trends, using all of their skills — not just their voices — to benefit their institutions. He led the charge to develop a new website and install cameras to live-stream the synagogue’s Friday night services in 2010. He also digitized many of the teaching resources for b’nai mitzvah students, including sheet music and recordings of Haftorah and Torah portions.

In 2013, supported by a prestigious grant from the Covenant Foundation, Cantor Singer developed the synagogue’s Jewish Arts and Music Program, which encompasses arts offerings for all ages, from new music for the popular Tot Shabbat Together service to the Hanukkah Festival of Laser Lights, where colorful lasers light up the sanctuary, accompanied by Jewish music from across genres.

A Singing Community

When Cantor Singer looks out at the congregation on a typical Friday night, he sees people deep in prayer, singing. “It makes me proud,” he says. “When my colleagues visit, they are surprised to see how many people participate in our services that are entirely in Hebrew. There are moments when I can close my eyes, be quiet, and let the congregation lead the worship from the pews. That’s one of the greatest things.”

Cantor Singer feels great respect and admiration for Rabbi Hirsch, whom he considers his greatest supporter. “Our partnership and friendship runs very deep,” says Cantor Singer. “I cannot take credit for anything I’ve done here without recognizing his role in making it all possible.”

During such joyous community events as the synagogue’s adult b’nai mitzvah ceremony, when men and women become “children of the Torah” after two years of study, Cantor Singer is often overcome with emotion. “I’m so proud of the soloists who have sung with me on the bimah,” he says. He also kvells about the “singing with the stars” that comes with being a Lincoln Center congregation, where professional singers from Broadway and opera are synagogue members, singing alongside him.

Stephan Lynn, who was on the search committee that hired Singer, recalls a moment in Shir Chadash (“The Voice of God”), a mainstay of Friday night services, when Cantor Singer will pause and listen to the congregation singing around him. “Occasionally he will say, ‘The voice of God is within you,’ Lynn says. “Dan convinces us that we really have to sing out.”

Photo by Chris Herder