(Courtesy of Ahavat Achim) What do you get when you bring together a community with musical talents among its membership, a shul rabbi who is a former Maccabeat, and a Rosh Chodesh that falls out on a Sunday?
On Sunday, March 10, Congregation Ahavat Achim held an uplifting Shacharit minyan that included a special musical Hallel. It was a first-of-its-kind davening experience for the shul that sought to engage new and long-time members of the community in a new way.
“When we started looking at the calendar to plan out our events for this year and saw that Rosh Chodesh Adar Sheni fell out on a Sunday, we knew we had to try and make this event happen,” said Aaron Czinn, one of the event organizers. “Davening Hallel on Yom Tov or on Shabbat is usually a very inspirational experience full of singing, but that energy doesn’t often carry over to weekday minyanim that coincide with saying Hallel. We hoped that with Rosh Chodesh falling on a Sunday, people would have more time and we could capture some of the beauty and kavanah of a Shabbat/Yom Tov Hallel.”
Ahavat Achim’s Adar Sheni Musical Hallel was led by Rabbi Ely Shestack, who deployed everyone’s favorite Purim tunes along with others from Zusha to the Moshav Band. Shestack was accompanied by community members Jay Herman and John Caruso on guitar. “Music was a huge part of each of our upbringings, and even though we grew up very differently, it was so nice to dust off the cobwebs and contribute to a meaningful davening,” said Herman.
“The musical accompaniment was a great addition to the davening experience. Our kids loved it too.” said Sara and Natan Santacruz. “We hope this becomes a tradition every time Rosh Chodesh falls out on a Sunday!”
Following the conclusion of Hallel, children eagerly transitioned to the social hall for a Purim mask decorating activity, setting the stage for the upcoming holiday.
After Shacharit, the community gathered for a delicious bagel breakfast, giving families, many of whom have arrived in the past two years, an opportunity to get to know each other better. “Our shul has been blessed to experience significant growth, particularly among young families, in recent years. This event was a celebration of that growth and an opportunity for newer members to connect with the community through tefillah,” noted Shestack.
One of those newer members, Tamar Gorelick, remarked that “having recently joined Ahavat Achim, this event was a great opportunity for us to continue meeting other families. We’re so happy to be a part of a community that proactively creates opportunities to connect to davening in new and different ways. It also gave us a chance to finally try the bagels from the local kosher bagel place!”
As Ahavat Achim continues to build on its recent growth, the shul will be hosting a prospective family Shabbaton on May 10-11. For more details, visit www.ahavatachim.org or email [email protected].
