HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (RNS) — Growing up in Argentina in an assimilated Jewish family, Jorge Singman never had a bar mitzvah, a rite of passage when Jewish teens read from the Torah scroll in front of an entire congregation.
So, earlier this year when his synagogue, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, began offering classes on chanting Torah, the first five books of the Bible, he signed up. On Aug. 10, the 66-year-old engineer stepped forward during a Shabbat service to chant a passage from the Book of Deuteronomy in Hebrew for the first time in his life.
“I would say it was kind of like my bar mitzvah,” said Singman, who had invited eight friends to his home for a meal to celebrate the occasion later that day. “I loved it.”
It was a milestone, too, for North Suburban Synagogue Beth El. A few years ago, the Conservative congregation of 900 families overlooking Lake Michigan set a goal of signing up 100 new laypeople to learn the ancient system of cantillation, or chanting the liturgy. Just six months later, the synagogue achieved its goal. And yet, it has since continued a series of incentives to get more of its congregants to not only read the ancient Hebrew scroll but put it to melody using the musical notation system devised centuries ago by Torah scholars in the ancient city of Tiberias.
Singman was one of 210 congregants who chanted Torah during services in the Jewish year that just concluded, many for the first time.
TEAM TORAH ON THE NEWS:
By Daniel I. Dorfman | Pioneer Press
UPDATED: October 1, 2024 at 10:08 a.m.
Jews all over the world will gather this week observing the start of the new year. For some members of North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, the services will be a showcase on how well they can read from the Torah.
With Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) of 5785 starting Wednesday night, the services will be the latest opportunity for members to read portions of the Torah as part of NSSBE’s Team Torah initiative.
While members have read Torah at services for many years, the Team Torah program launched in 2021, is steadily growing in popularity…
CONTINUE READING…
Rabbi Schwab recently was a guest on WBEZ, Chicago’s NPR station.
[Click on the image to listen to the audio interview on YouTube].
Chicago area marks anniversary of Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel
Hazzan Sandler singing at Highland Park 10/7 Anniversary Gathering (1:28)
[Click on the image to watch the video].
Oct. 7 attack on Israel opened floodgates to antisemitism and hate
Antisemitism after Hamas’ attack last year has impacted us in serious ways, a Highland Park rabbi writes. But building bridges to end hate is the way forward.
By Rabbi Michael Schwab
Oct 4, 2024, 7:30pm CDT
READ ARTICLE HERE
**MOURNING VICTIMS, FEARING ESCALATION**
Lives across the Chicago area are scarred amid the Israel-Hamas war and ongoing Middle East conflict. Don’t miss this important article in the Tribune featuring Rabbi Freedman and Marcie Eskin.
READ MORE HERE
Click HERE to see October 7th resources provided by the American Zionist Movement