Dear Friends,
May my prayers ascend, may my heart stay true.
As we enter the Jewish month of
Elul
, we remind ourselves that we have only a month before the New Year and the Day of Atonement. We do this by blowing the shofar every day after morning prayers.
The resonating blast of the shofar always shakes the core of my physical self and the deepest places of my soul. I start to question myself and, most of all, my actions. Have I been a good person? Will my good outweigh my bad?
My biggest fear is that I will not have pure intention to lead you in the High Holiday tefillah.
In order to prepare myself spiritually, I look for a powerful crutch. The crutch I have found is the traditional, liturgical music of the High Holy Days. Singing and hearing the music of the holidays puts my soul in the right place to lead the congregation with the right intentions.
The song I recorded, “אוחילה לאל”, represents all that my heart goes through during the month of Elul. Watch the video below.
As Rosh Hashana draws nearer, may your prayers ascend, may your heart stay true.
Cantor Hanan Leberman
