Spotlight on CLAL
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Remembering 9/11: CLAL Mixes Jewish Ritual with Echoes of 9/11
Creating New Rituals to Memorialize the Tragedy and to Help Move Forward
By Judy Epstein, Director of Public Affairs
To
commemorate the tragedy of 9/11, CLAL has composed and recorded a
stunning mix of Jewish and American texts, prayers, music, liturgy and
readings for marking the day. Produced and recorded by CLAL faculty and
staff in partnership with JBI (The Jewish Braille Institute) the recording
transposes the sounds of sirens to the blasts of the Shofar, chants cell
phone goodbyes to the haunting cantorial melody of the Book of Lamentations
and intersperses actual news coverage from 9/11 with biblical texts.
"The recording offers a profoundly Jewish way to deal with an American
loss," said Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, CLAL Vice President, who provides the
introduction to the piece. "Yahrzeit is as much about shaping the future as
it is about remembering the past. Not only do we recall what we have lost,
but we can actually imagine how the power of a person's life can continue to
grow."
Other parts of the recording include "The Diameter of the Bomb," a poem by
renowned poet Yehuda Amichai that is read alongside profiles of the victims.
Stories of resolve and heroism, in addition to a translation of Psalm 23 and
a reading of David's Lament, are presented.
The ritual concludes with an excerpt from a famous essay by E.B White
entitled Here is New York and a prayer for travelers, as they continue on
their journey.
"For many people, 9/11 dramatically changed our consciousness and lives as
Americans," said Rabbi Hirschfield. "Our sense of safety, sense of self,
sense of the world - nothing remained the same. So having a ritual to help
move through the anniversary is critical. This recording provides that.
Whether people listen to it together as a family, or use it as a tool in
their synagogue, or just play it in their car while they commute, it offers
a way to honor the day in a Jewish way, but it also looks forward to the
next phase of life."
"We felt it was important to make this recording available to the public,"
said Donna Rosenthal.
To receive a CD, please contact CLAL at 212-779-3300, or to download your copy, please
go to the CLAL web site - www.clal.org or click here.
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