Evening - Day one

Our evening began at the Instituto Maria Bambina with an opening reception. Here is a view of St. Peter's Cathedral from the roof of the Institute.

Many of my colleagues were interviewed on the rooftop for a documentary film, To God's Ears, which is being created during this trip. My interview will happen tomorrow.

After the opening reception, a number of us walked over to Via Germanico to have dinner at Dal Toscano, a restaurant suggested by my friends, Lani and Paul at Context Travel. The restaurant wasn't open yet when we arrived, so we sat down at a streetside cafe to have a glass of wine. Lo and behold, the 3 young men sitting at the table next to us were seminarians who are having lunch with us tomorrow as part of our trip.

After our apertivo, we went to Dal Toscano and had a fabulous dinner. Here are my friends, Jonathan and Sharyn Grant, and me and Tracey Sher enjoying our dinner.

A walk in the Trastevere

Tracey & I decided to take a walk in the Trastevere area of Rome. It's not too far from our hotel and has a reputation of being a hip neighborhood. Here are a few highlights of our walk.

These are street musicians on the piazza in front of The Church of Santa Maria in Trastevere. You can click on the video below to hear some of the street sounds. What a beautiful day!

Above right is the view from atop many stairs that we climbed.

Here are a few photos of the streets in Trastevere. The sunlight was so beautiful.

This shop had all sorts of instruments and stray cats.

This is a fountain that was above the Trastevere.

After our big walk, we sat down at an outdoor cafe and shared a big glass of fresh grapefruit juice and a cappuccino. Delicioso!

Now we are back at the hotel. We will be joining all of the cantors and other participants for an opening reception at the Instituto Maria Bambina in a few minutes. Tomorrow we begin rehearsing!

Made it!

Earlier today: I’m on the plane, approaching Rome now. I managed to get about an hour’s worth of sleep in on the way here. I was lucky to meet up with my colleague, Susan Caro, and her husband, John Lertzman, who are both joining the trip. Susan is the President of the American Conference of Cantors and will be singing in the concert as well. John is along for the ride! If all goes well are planning to meet two other cantors at the airport in Rome and then travel together to the hotel. We don’t have anything scheduled until this afternoon, so I’m planning on hoofing around with my friend, Tracey Scher, until then.

I arrive, took a shuttle to the Michelangelo Hotel, washed up & headed out. I've seen a bunch of other cantors who have arrived for the trip. We walked past St. Peter's Square and had some pizza.

On the way to Rome!

Getting ready to leave for Rome! Bags are packed, music is in the binder, I think I'm all set. I'm looking forward to meeting up with some of my cantorial colleagues in the airport in Rome tomorrow morning as we begin our journey together. Even though it will be just a few short days, I believe this will be an amazing experience. Thanks to everyone who helped me!

Do Not Stand Idly By: A Jewish Community Pledge to Save Lives

At the October Board of Trustees meeting of Congregation Adas Emuno, we voted to endorse Do Not Stand Idly By: A Jewish Community Pledge to Save Lives, which reads as follows:

As members of a tradition that sees each person as created in the divine image, we respond with anguish and outrage at the spate of suicides brought on by homophobic bullying and intolerance. We hereby commit to ending homophobic bullying or harassment of any kind in our synagogues, schools, organizations, and communities. As a signatory, I pledge to speak out when I witness anyone being demeaned for their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. I commit myself to do whatever I can to ensure that each and every person in my community is treated with dignity and respect.

The campaign was launched by Keshet in support of a fully inclusive Jewish community.  Keshet's mission is to ensure that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Jews are fully included in all parts of the Jewish community.


Whether you support this mission or not, as Jews we are committed to taking a stand against persecution and intolerance, and against the kinds of bullying that had led to the tragedy of young persons taking their own lives.  And if you support the statement above, you can go to the Do Not Stand Idly By: A Jewish Community Pledge to Save Lives website, and sign the Pledge for yourself.  

It's Time to Say Good Shabbos

I thought I'd share with you a song that I like a great deal, "It's Time to Say Good Shabbos," by Abie Rotenberg, which appears on his album Journeys Vol. 1.  When my son was still a preschooler, I used to drive him over to the JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly every morning, and we'd listen to the JM in the AM radio program on WFMU, and every Friday morning they'd play that song (my son called it "the hammer song").  So, here it is, with a lovely video accompanying it, courtesy of on syntax291 on YouTube:

The lyrics to this song can be found on the Zemerl website, and here they are for your convenience:

The sun is going down, it's shining through the trees. 

Another week's gone by, become a memory. 

So throw away your hammer, there's nothing left to do. 

Go on home and find the gift that's waiting there for you.

(Refrain) 

It's time to say "good shabbos" 'cause all your work is done. 

gonna spend a a day together with the holy one 

Say a special blesing on a cup filled with wine 

Man and his Creator, it's a very special time.

Your Candles will be burning, to fill your home with light 

Singing songs of shabbos, well into the night 

so throw away the hammer, there's nothing left to do 

go on home and find the gift that's waiting there for you

(refrain) 

It's time to say good shabbos 

'cause all your work is done 

Gonna spend the day together with the holy one 

Say a special blessing on a cup filled with wine 

Man and his Creator, it's a very special time.

You can spend time with your family, you'll study and you'll pray 

Why not wait 'till after shabbos 

oh, those nails won't run away 

oh, so throw away that hammer 

there's nothing left to do. 

Go on home and find the gift that's waiting there for you.

(refrain)...

 And, of course, wishing you a Good Shabbos!

To God's Ears

In a post on July 19, Cantor Shapiro Selected for Vatican Concert in November,  we reported that the spiritual leader of Congregation Adas Emuno, Cantor Kerith Spencer-Shapiro, was one of 20 Americans Reform Jewish Cantors chosen to give a concert promoting Catholic-Jewish dialogue in the Vatican in Rome next month.  Here now is a short video about that upcoming event:

To Gods Ear's from Avant on Vimeo.

And here is the description accompanying the video over on Vimeo:

“To God’s Ears” is the journey of twenty Reform Jewish Cantors from the United States to perform a concert in an ancient Roman Basilica, just miles away from the Vatican. The Concert will take place on November 16, 2010.


The Jewish Cantors will sing healing songs from Liturgical and Biblical verses in one of the Catholic Church’s most ancient buildings. This sacred concert is an expression by the Jewish Cantors to the Catholic Church acknowledging the past while forgiving and forging vibrantly and melodically into the future. These Jewish Cantors will sing from their mouths “To God’s Ears”. This is a 501(c)(3)non-profit Documentary film, For more information please contact Allan McBride 323 650 3900 ext 303 mcbride@mcbride.com. 

The performance will truly be nothing short of divine!