Rock On! Soulfarm will perform at L’dor Vador on Sunday May 22nd at 4PM.
OUR PURIM CELEBRATION IS COMING!
The Jewish month of Adar is known as a month of celebration and happiness, Adar contains the joyous holiday of Purim that takes place mid-month. This year Adar comes back for seconds, the Jewish leap year, occurs approximately once every three years. In order to assure that the lunar months of the Jewish year stay in sync with the solar calendar, an additional month of Adar is added. Purim is celebrated in the second Adar.
We will be celebrating with the whole megiilla, hearing and experiencing the story of Purim, with costumes, karaoke and more on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning March 23and 24.
In addition to the Purim miracle of survival, Adar is considered to be a month of good fortune for the Jewish people. The zodiac sign for Adar is Pisces, fish or dagim in Hebrew. In Jewish tradition, fish are a sign of blessing and fruitfulness. Also, just as fish live in water, the Jewish people thrive when immersed in the Torah, which is compared to life-giving water. My sweet daughter Bashe, my cool brother Ron and I were all born during Adar. The Rockmans love a good party, Adar is a very happy time of celebration for us!
SOULFARM IS COMING TO L’DOR VADOR!
I was the educational director at Temple Beth El in Somerset for one school year 2000-2001. So much happened durung that year, it was a turning point in my life. My association with that wonderful shul led to the most important event in my life. Thanks to the Beth El rabbi and his wife, David and Judy, I was introduced to Stacey, the love of my life, who, as you know agreed to become my bride!
A sweet sixteen years later, so much joy has grown from this wonderful and fortuitous year. Later this year, on June 18th, we will celebrate one more milestone, as our daughter Bashe becomes a Bat Mitzvah. We look forward to celebrating this great simcha with you!
Suffice it to say, everything is connected. How many ways can I tell you how much excitement I receive from musical expression? Back in 2000, at Beth El, I had the good fortune to work with and get to know a number of very nice people. But you know how those things go, work friendships are concentrated, they generally live in a place and time, rarely do they live beyond the structure of the institution, but the influence of a good experience is transcendent. And our friendship with David and Judy endures.
One of our teachers Tamar, a Rutgers student worked with me as an assistant, a sub and offered remedial assistance to our students; we had a lot of time to talk. Eventually, when Mrs. Ann Kannarek, our legendary educational director, was in need of a teacher, we found additional hours for Tamar here at B’nai Tikvah.
Then as now, I regularly had music playing in my office. The music was a source of joy and a great deal of music was shared. Tamar was a BIG fan of the group SOULFARM, a New York City based American Jewish rock band. I’ve been hooked on their music since then, following them through their musical maturation and varied manifestations. The leaders of the band are C Lanzbom and Noah Chase Solomon; they play mainstream rock, Jewish/Middle Eastern, bluegrass, and folk music. C and Noah also perform as a duo, soloists, collaborate with other bands and C Lanzbom is currently performing with his other group “DEADGRASS”, an up and coming acoustic Grateful Dead cover band.
I look forward to sharing their music with you at L’dor Vador and helping you to get to know them well. Soulfarm music is easy to access on YouTube and on their website soulfarm.net/music/ , where they have posted numerous full songs from their varied collaborations. I will post some of my favorites for you on my blog at bnaitikvah.org/cantor/.
Rock On!
I look forward to seeing you in shul.
Have a fun Purim!
We give thanks to G-d and may the joy of Adar continue to grow in all of us!
Cantor Bruce Rockman