In conjunction with preparing a short study session for the Tikkun Leil Shavuot on the subject of talking in synagogues and the blessing the Tosfos Yom Tov Lipman Heller wrote for those who do not talk during prayers. I found an interesting article by (Irving N. Levitz, “Talking During Tefillah: Understanding The Phenomenon” in The…
Author: Paul Heller
L’Dor vaDor
Last weekend two Synagogues that are the guardians of their unique musical legacy, the Pestallotzistrasse from Berlin and Belsize Square from London, showed their very best. These synagogues are the embodiment of the great tradition of the Liberale German Jewry and its renowned liturgy, together with to my knowledge, two others, one in NY and…
Cantor’s meet in Prague
Jewish Prague, once the centre and light for all Europe with famous ruling chief rabbi’s as the Maharal an Tosfot Yom Tov Heller. Now lives from showing its Synagogues as museums. We gathered four days with the European Cantors Association and had master classes with Cantor Naftali Herstik with my son Yohel, lectures with Cantor…
Selichot Choral service
Tonight in almost all Synagogues over the world we prepare for the coming days of awe. A service which reminds principally of the services of the High Holydays. In Belsize a very musical one. Rehearsing already with my Choirmaster and the Synagogue’s Musical Director Dr. Benjamin Wolf and organist Maestro Mike Cayton, both very instrumental…
The New Synagogue on Oranienburgerstrasse- A unique testimony to and symbol of German Judaism
The actual sanctuary as before it’s destruction in WWII and the place where we stood on during the celebration and memorial services , this how it looked like in all its splendor. What is left of it, is the courtyard we stood during the commemoration as pictured in my previous post and in this…
Louis Lewandowski Part I.
Louis Lewandowski (1821 – 1894) transformed Jewish worship into a musical experience. That is what we experienced today Sunday 11th of September, in the actual place the sanctuary stood, other big edifices have been destroyed this day, but nobody mentioned it on our commemoration, I later was reminded on a special report on One World…
A thought on the controversy of how to go to the beach
I was very surprised by the statement a mayor in France made in that topless women is more French than the muslim burkini attire. I just came back from my holidays and it is exactly this that I saw. I could not understand how muslim men and women go to beaches were others sunbath topless? And…
The Synagogue of St Poelten, Austria
At a half an hour by train west from Vienna is the capital of Lower Austria, the city of Sankt Poelten and its vicinities, Boehemkirchen, Neulengbach and Eichgraben where my paternal family comes from and great grandparents and siblings of my grandparents are buried. My great grandfather used to commute to Vienna to conduct his…
Liverpool a city that shines
We were invited to perform at a wedding in Liverpool, doing the singing at the marvelous Synagogue in Princess Road, there I was chanting a duo with my son Yohel, standing next to Rabbi Emeritus Rodney Mariner and participating together with two orthodox Rabbis one from Manchester and one from Liverpool. The couple, from both…
The white robe
You might wonder in a blog that focuses on attitudes and behaviour against Israel and Judaism, why I am not writing on the U.K. Labour party’s anti-Semitism scandal instead of the use of the white robe, but you will, at the end understand, besides, you can read all of UK politics in the media, or…
From Vienna to Straßburg
Two wonderful musical offerings this week, beginning with Matthias Bartolomey and Klemens Bitmann on Monday at the Austrian Embassy in London, celebrating 150 years Austrian Embassy at Belgrave Square a concert with a personal invitation from the Ambassador together with many personalities from all the spectrum of diplomacy in the UK and focused on their new…
Alex Knapp at 7o celebratory Concert with the Wallace Ensemble and The Belsize Square Synagogue Professional Choir
The Belsize Square Synagogue Professional Choir
