FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: josef@sagecommunications.com
AWAKEN YOUR SOUL AT THE BOSTON
HEBREW CHANT FESTIVAL, APRIL 14-17
Hudson,
MA:
Hebrew Chant Boston, a new collaborative promoting Jewish Chanting in
the Boston area, is sponsoring a
4-day Boston Hebrew Chant Festival featuring Rabbi Shefa
Gold from Albuquerque, New Mexico,
at five Boston area synagogues over
the Festival weekend, April 14-17.
Jewish chanting is a participatory style of prayer where
short, sacred phrases from the Jewish tradition are repeated and put to
melody. This form of prayer is a new
expression of Jewish spirituality that is fast gaining in popularity. According to a recent article published by
the Global Jewish News Service, “Jewish chanting is making inroads well beyond
its roots in Jewish retreat centers and New Age spirituality and regular Jewish
chant circles are cropping up across the United
States.” — JTA, November 22, 2010.
The simplicity of the words and
the energy of the music make Hebrew Chanting an expression that is easy to do
regardless of one’s level of Hebrew fluency or religious background. Participants who have never chanted before
can easily pick up the phrasing and are quickly transported by the repetition
of the music into a meditative state of joyful harmony and peace.
Rabbi Shefa
Gold explains, “Hebrew chanting is a way of transforming the words of liturgy
into doorways. They become entrances
into expanded states of consciousness.
The sacred words become lanterns by which our inner treasures, the
unique medicine that each of us carry, may be revealed.”
The 4-day Festival will open on Thursday night, April 14, at 7:30
PM, with a Pre-Passover Workshop at Congregation Beth El in Sudbury,
MA.
The theme of the workshop is “Keys
to our Freedom,” and will use excerpts from text of the Exodus Story to
illustrate how the Exodus Process relates to modern lives. The workshop is free
to Beth El members and costs $12 in advance or $15 at the door to non-members.
To register in advance or to obtain an All-Festival
Pass for $50, visit: www.hebrewchantboston.org
On Friday night,
April 15, Rabbi Shefa Gold will lead a Kabbalat Shabbat Service at Temple
Israel in Natick
from 5:45 – 7:00 PM, followed by a
community dinner immediately after the service with Rabbi Gold. The cost to attend the dinner is $18 for Temple
Israel members and $20 for
non-members.
On Saturday morning,
April 16, Rabbi Gold will lead a Renewal Minyon
Service, from 9:00 – 11:00 AM, at
Congregation Shirat Hayam
in Swampscott, MA. For more details, email: csh@shirathayam.org
On Saturday night,
April 16, at 7:30 PM, Rabbi Gold
will lead an “Evening of Ecstatic Chant ” at The
Andover Newton Theological School campus in Newton,
MA.
The evening is being co-sponsored by Congregation B’nai Or, the Jewish
Renewal community of Boston. Please bring a Kosher or Pareve
donation of canned salmon or whole grain cereal which will be donated to the
JF&CS family table. Tickets are $18 at the door or $15 in advance at www.hebrewchantboston.org
On Sunday, April 17,
from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Rabbi Gold will lead a workshop on Jewish Spiritual Healing at Congregation
Kerem Shalom in Concord,
MA. Attendance is free to Karem Shalom members and costs $30 in advance and $36 at
the door for non-members. Advance registration is suggested. To register in advance or to obtain an All-Festival
Pass for $50, visit: www.hebrewchantboston.org