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Our Music
At Temple Israel, we’re constantly trying to figure out how to reinvent the richness of Jewish tradition for the 21st century. That goes for our music, too.
In its early days as a classic Reform synagogue, we didn’t even have a cantor. (Jacob Bornstein was our first, in 1952.) That has changed, drastically. Today the musical energy at our shabbat services is a crucial component of the Temple Israel experience - an instant pathway to exhaling the cares of the week and synchronizing with the Divine.
But we’re admittedly not the kind of temple where the congregation likes to sing the same shabbat songs to exactly the same tunes, week after week. At any given service we might be chanting a Shlomo Carlebach niggun, a hymn from your grandparents’ childhood, a traditional Ladino tune, a modern one by Debbie Friedman or by our own former cantor Rachelle Nelson, or just about anything else that is Jewish.
Transliteration of Hebrew lyrics into English is almost always available.
As our rabbis have often noted, as Americans we live in the biggest and most powerful Jewish culture in the history of the world – and as such, it’s our challenge to create a new American musical style for prayer (nusach). Not to abandon the eastern European musical traditions which many of us think of as definitively Jewish, but to add a New World spin. At Temple Israel, our influences range from Latin and jazz to folk and classical.
Our music director, Dr. Alan Mason, is one of the nation's leading accompanists of Jewish music. He has served as music director of regional conventions of the Union for Reform Judaism, has appeared at national conventions of the URJ, is on staff of the annual North American Jewish Choral Festival, and has performed at the Limmud Conference in England. He frequently accompanies Alberto Mizrahi in concerts around the country. Outside of Jewish life, Dr. Mason spent four years with the New World Symphony, was the accompanist for the Florida Philharmonic Chorus, and is an Associate Professor of Music at Barry University.
 Dr. Alan Mason, Temple Israel's Director of Music, will be playing the piano at The White House for President Bush's Hanukkah ceremony and party on Monday, December 10, 2007 at 5 pm. Dr. Mason will be accompanying Cantor Alberto Mizrahi, and the New York Zamir Chorale in a musical performance that will take place in the East Room. Congratulations can be sent to Alan at: tiarts@templeisrael.net, or to the temple’s address.
"Alan Mason is the quintessential embodiment of musicianship. His talent, knowledge, and demeanor bring credit to Temple Israel." Dr. Joan L. Bornstein, President.
"From our house to the White House! Our beloved Dr. Mason is now a national treasure!" Rabbi Mitch Chefitz, Scholar-in-Residence.
“All of Alan Mason’s friends, and even those who only know him as an outstanding pianist, recognize what a wonderful honor he has achieved by receiving an invitation to play the piano at The White House for the Chanukah party, to be held at The White House, to take place in a couple of weeks. Alan will bring credit to not only his own abilities as a pianist, but also to the fact that he has been involved in the musical programs of Temple Israel for over a decade, and he brings honor to himself and to Temple Israel in regard to his forthcoming performance at The White House. I am very pleased that his talents have been recognized as such.” Stanley Tate, Past President.
Read about Drawing Close, Karina Zilberman (our former cantorial soloist) and Alan's latest CD containing Shabbat songs.
Our musical experimentation extends to our youth education. B’nai mitzvah kids are encouraged to invent their own trope to chant when they’re called to the Torah. It might turn out to be rap, or an adaptation of a Billy Joel song, or the Theme from Star Wars. It’s not your grandfather’s trope. But it’s absolutely Jewish music.
Listen to Hashkivenu
Click here to view a concert video of Karina and Alan performing "Hashkivenu"
Click here to view a concert video of Karina singing “Stormwind”
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