Shavuot Program at JCC Features Rabbi/ Cantor Hanan Leberman

By Eileen Wingard

LA JOLLA, California — Shavuot, the Festival of Weeks, celebrates many things. First and foremost is the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. But it is also the Festival of the First Fruits and the holiday when we read the Book of Ruth, convert to Judaism and grandmother of King David.

For the Treasures from the Music Collection: Shavuot Music program at 2 p.m.  Thursday afternoon, June 5, in the Astor Judaica Library of the Lawrence Family JCC, I will have as my special guest, Rabbi/Cantor Hanan Leberman, the newly appointed spiritual leader of Congregation Tifereth Israel Synagogue. He will not only help introduce the program but will add a few additional songs of Shavuot. The recorded selections will reflect all aspects of this important holiday.

Honoring the giving of the Torah will be Yismach Moshe (Moses’ Happiness), Dundai (Israel without the Torah is like a body without a soul), Yisrael v’oraita (God, the Torah and Israel are one), Boruch Elohim (Blessed be God), Zman Simchatenu (Time of Rejoicing).

Also relating to the giving of the Torah are original songs, B’chukotai (If You Follow My Commandments) by local playwright, Myla Lichtman-Fields, and Vahaer Libenu (Purify Our Hearts) by local film maker, Zehi Ozeri.

An unusual offering will be Twagala Torah (We Love the Torah), sung in Luganda, the language of the Jews of Uganda. This CD was recorded by Rabbi Jeffrey A. Summit, who is also a musicologist.

Songs in honor of the harvest holiday will be Saleynu (With baskets), and Prachim l’Shavuot (Flowers for Shavuot).

There will be two songs about Ruth, both in English. One is from Elizabeth Swados’ CD, Bible Women: Wither Thou Goes, I Will Go. The other, Ruth’s Song, was written by my husband, Hal Wingard, of blessed memory.

My special guest, Rabbi/Cantor Hanan Leberman, has recently relocated to San Diego from Jerusalem with his wife, Ariel, and two young children, Leo and Charlotte, to become the full-time rabbi of Congregation Tifereth Israel Synagogue. In Jerusalem, he served as cantor for the Masorti synagogue.

San Diego is familiar to him and the congregants of Tifereth Israel are well-acquainted with Leberman’s warm personality and beautiful voice because he has served the congregation as guest cantor for the High Holidays for the past seven years. Fortunately for the congregation, Leberman received his rabbinical ordination two years ago and was well-qualified to assume the role of full-time rabbi when the position opened.

The Chicago-born, Philadelphia-raised rabbi studied flute as a youngster and had leading roles in his high school musicals.

After high school, he studied at a Yeshivah in Jerusalem and at age 20 made Aliyah to Israel. He served for three years in the Israel Defense Force in the undercover terrorist unit, often also acting as the cantor for the unit.

After his active duty, he studied at the Jerusalem Academy of Music. He sang opera in Jerusalem, at the Glyndaborne Opera Festival in England, and played the role of Tamino in a production of Mozart’s Magic Flute in Italy. He has served as guest cantor in Australia, England and the United States.

We are, indeed, fortunate to have such a talented rabbi and cantor join our San Diego Jewish Community.

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Eileen Wingard is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts.

 

To enjoy the music of Shavuot and meet Rabbi/Cantor Hanan

Leberman, be sure to come to the Thursday afternoon, June 5 program.