Hazzan Sofer’s Monthly Message

Activities for the Coming Year

Wed, 1 Jul 2009 12:00:16 -0700

In spite of a difficult economy, music and theatre activities are continuing at PJTC in full force. We have begun meeting with the San Gabriel Jewish Community Choir which has named itself Kol Haemek, Voice of the Valley. The existence of this choir has begun with several affiliated and some non-affiliated people in the Greater San Gabriel Valley who would like to continue their choir singing above and beyond singing for services. It includes participants from Glendale to Rancho Cucamonga and down to Whittier. We will be meeting every other week during the summer. If you are interested in participating, please let me know. Also, if you are interested in joining our PJTC choir for the High Holy Days, we will begin rehearsing on July 7 at 7:30 PM in the lounge. You can contact Roz Scherr or me for any more information.

Although the summer slows down a little while LBSRS is on vacation, we are all busily making our plans for this upcoming year. Please mark your calendars for December 6 when we will be having our second annual Community Choir Concert. We had a full house last year and hope that even more of you join us as we share the beauty of singing together and lifting our voices in joy to celebrate our own holiday season.

I will be leading a group to Israel again this year accompanied by my husband Shlomo, and joined by Rabbi Gil Kollin and Yona as we again share the beauty, excitement, and wonders natural, archaeological, and spiritual of Eretz Yisrael. Each time I bring a group to Israel I change the itinerary. Included are some of the most important places that have been visited in the past two trips with an extra night’s stay both at the Dead Sea and in the North and an extra free day in Jerusalem. Also, being that the weather in Israel is very similar to Southern California, we will be doing some more walking and visiting nature reserves in Israel that are so beautiful at this time of year. If you are thinking of joining us, there is a flyer in the lobby so please get in touch with me. The deadline to get your materials to me is September for a December 27 departure. This will be two weeks of wonderful experiences that you will never forget.

For those of you who are interested in becoming adult b’nei mitzvah, I will be starting a new class late next spring 2010 in order to have a celebration sometime in 2011. Please watch for future information.

And finally, I have decided to produce/direct another musical this coming winter. Because of my many other activities, this year’s production will be much smaller in order to be able put it up in a shorter period of time. I will announce the details after the High Holy Days.

Have a wonderful and cool summer. I will be around all summer and love to have visitors just to chat or answer any questions you might have about these events..

Hope to see you all around.

Shalom and blessings,

Cantor Judy

Jewish Community Chorale

Mon, 1 Jun 2009 12:00:25 -0700

As many of you are aware, last December we had our first Jewish Community Choir concert inviting choirs from all of the different synagogues in the San Gabriel Valley to participate. Since it was the first time, and there were several obstacles on the way, we weren’t sure what kind of turn-out we would get. However, it proved to be extremely successful and packed the sanctuary of Shaarei Torah for the afternoon. I was expecting family of the participants but many more people came to support us who were thirsty for such Jewish community activities. From this experience of singing together, several people from Temple Israel of Pomona reached out to me to start a Jewish Community Chorale.

With the support of the Jewish Federation of San Gabriel Valley we have now begun with a roster of more than thirty people. We will be meeting every two weeks in and around the San Gabriel Valley until we decide where our permanent home is. I will be conducting the choir with the help of Cantor Jay Harwitt, my musical director and conductor for “Music Man” and “Fiddler on the Roof” and also the cantor of Temple Beth Shalom of Whittier.

Our goals are to bring together any Jews in the greater San Gabriel Valley community who like to sing and are willing to make a commitment to work seriously. We will not necessarily be singing religious music although it may be part of the mix. Our subject matter will be varied, from Israeli, to other Jewish ethnic music from around the world with a touch of more contemporary styles. As our repertoire progresses, we will be adding a few instruments here and there.

If you are interested in being a part of this group, please let me know. The next meeting will be on May 31 at 1:00 P.M. There will be rehearsals every two weeks during the summer.

Also, this coming December I am happy to announce that I will be leading another PJTC trip to Israel from December 27 through January 10. On this trip, I will be joined by Rabbi Gil Kollin, and, of course, my husband Shlomo who has lots of stories to tell. I have planned a more relaxing trip this time, good for the first- and second-time visitor. The itinerary will take us through the center of the country and up north, including five days in Jerusalem and two days at the Dead Sea for relaxation and fun in the spas and healing waters. Also, there will be several opportunities for easy hiking and walking included, plus a jeep trip through the Judean Mountains. The itinerary is available in the Temple lobby, and Jane will be receiving the registration forms.

As we receive our new Torah and celebrate its being given to us this Shavuot, I wish you all Hag Sameach and a wonderful summer!

Cantor Judy

Passover in Israel

Fri, 1 May 2009 12:00:09 -0700

Spending this Passover time in Israel this year has been quite an experience. First, there were signs of Birchat Hachama, the Blessing of the Sun, on every corner. Here in Israel the celebration of this day was an event that everyone knew about although it was primarily celebrated by the religious factions. The day before the seder many of the restaurants close down for the entire week. Grocery stores hide or store away any chametz. The entire country goes out on vacation. The schools are on vacation for two weeks so it is the favorite holiday of all students. This is the best holiday for taking trips around Israel, especially since the spring weather is so wonderful.

As far as the seder was concerned, knowing that my husband’s Iraqi family isn’t particularly religious, I wanted to try to make the experience more fulfilling for myself and the family. So I asked everyone to bring any musical instruments that were easy to carry such as flutes, recorders, drums, and guitars. The older generation was in shock, partly because they had never had instruments at the seder before, but also because they felt that no one would get involved since the attitude of the younger generation was just to wait impatiently for the food. Even though I would be considered a “Good Jew” because I was celebrating Pesach in Israel, I was afraid that my experience wouldn’t be as fulfilling as our seders at home.

We had twelve of the younger generation from seven to thirty-three years old. Many of them play musical instruments but it had never occurred to them to liven up the seder nor would they ever have thought of suggesting it. I insisted that they participate, dragging the drums around for the younger children and passing the two guitars around. Not only did we manage to go through the entire first half of the seder with everyone participating, but for the first time in their family history they all returned to the table for Hallel and the singing of the songs, and then continuing way into the evening jamming on all the Jewish and Israeli songs that everyone knew. I hope that now they will make it part of the family tradition.

On returning home we will be welcoming a guest cantor, Aviva Rosenblum, to join the choir and me for services on May 15. This is an opportunity to hear different melodies including original songs by Aviva.

On May 31 we are finishing our own Torah. Not only is it a mitzvah to be part of this exciting opportunity, but it is also something that is special to Judaism. There are no comparable experiences in other religions. This may be the only chance so don’t miss it!

b’Shalom,

Cantor Judy

Thank You

Wed, 1 Apr 2009 12:00:39 -0700

Last month I thanked most of the people who were involved in The Music Man. I would like to add a few more thanks:

Shira and Brian Goodman for the “PJTC presents The Music Man” banner that hung across the proscenium.

Craig Pettigrew for the mixing board for all of our sound.

Nancy Carlton for helping backstage with costumes and keeping us fed and hydrated during the show.

Again I would like to thank all of you wonderful people who made this production possible here at PJTC. When I started to direct “Fiddler on the Roof” two years ago, I had trouble sleeping at night thinking that I was crazy and what had I brought upon myself. But we succeeded then, and we succeeded this time, with an even bigger production! We again had a great show! I could never have done something this immense, and yes, even Herculean, without all of your help.

As musical theater drifts into the background, it is time to turn my thoughts to a wonderful Shabbat service coming up on May 15 with guest cantor Aviva Rosenblum and the choir. And in June we will start rehearsing for the High Holidays. If you are interested in joining the choir this year, please let me know.

Visit to Israel

A number of people have approached me about leading another group to Israel in late fall of 2009 or early winter of 2010. For various reasons, including economic ones, the thought had been to wait for a year or two. However, because of the economy, prices for plane tickets and hotels have not increased and a guided trip to Israel could be very affordable at that time. If any of you are interested in joining an organized group from PJTC, this year is a good opportunity. If there are enough people who have been to Israel on a previous visit, it could also create an opportunity to customize the trip. This trip would have to be organized as soon as possible to get the best fares so please get in touch with me.

Hag Sameach for Pesach,

Cantor Judy

A Wells Fargo Wagon Full of Thanks

Sun, 1 Mar 2009 12:00:35 -0800

We have again been blessed with the help from so many people to create the success of our 2009 production of The Music Man. I am always surprised at the people who come forward to get involved in our theater productions. Having been the cantor of PJTC for almost fifteen years and been involved with all of the b’nei mitzvah and other life cycle events, I have had the opportunity to get to know people in a more intimate way. This often helped me know who to turn to in these musical theater endeavors. But there are many others out there who have come forward to delight us with their efforts and given much creativity, time and effort to make the different aspects of the production a success.

Principals
Prof. Harold Hill - George Roegler
Marian Paroo - Tovah Goodman
Mayor George Shinn - Neil Brown
Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn - Karen Brown
Mrs. Paroo - Susan Cohen-Rooks
Constable Locke - Edeena Gordon
Marcellus Washburn - Steve Edberg
Charlie Cowell - Rudy Wolf
Tommy Djilas - David Merino
Zaneeta Shinn - Sara Charney
Amaryllis - Sara Dreier
Winthrop - Sheldon Donenberg
Gracie Shinn - Diana Spiegel
Barbershop Quartet, Townsmen & Salesmen
Jacey Squires - Asher Butnik (1st Tenor)
Ewart Dunlop - Art Bogad (2nd Tenor)
Oliver Hix - John Carlton (Baritone)
Olin Britt - John Guest (Bass)
Pick-A-Little Ladies and Townsladies
Mrs. Squires - Roz Scherr
Maud Dunlop - Annie Cheslow
Alma Hix - Miriam Malabel
Wolf Ethel Toffelmeir - Jacqui Levine
Dancers and Townspeople
Hannah Levin - Alex Weisz (band player) - Jeremy Weisz (band player)
Rachel Weisz - Anat Bar-Chaim - Lexy Radulovic
Phyllis Schissell - Samantha Miller - Ariel Vaisbort
Sondra Dreshner - Lisa Parmelee - Gwen McKinley
Townsladies
Linda Mazur - Sue Galpert - Vicki Snow - Mary Gatter (Farmer’s wife)
Salesmen and Townsmen
Bruce Applebaum - Brandon Mittman - Marty Levine - Lew Snow
Director/Producer
Hazzan Judy Sofer
Musical Director/Conductor
Hazzan Jay Harwitt
Choreographer
Sondra Dreshner
Costumes and Props
Ricki Lane with the assistance of Sheila Presant
Set Construction and Decoration
Shlomo Sofer - David Holland-Moritz
Vicki Snow - Lew Snow - Edeena Gordon
Director Assistant and Communications
Miriam Malabel Wolf
Production Committee
Stu Miller - Patricia Bunin - Marilyn Fingerhut
Suzanne Spitz - Anita Landau - Faith Segal
Orchestra Manager Sound Engineer
Jeff Landau - Andrew Chapin
Lights
Will McConnell - Daniel Gordon - Jenna Mittman
Musicians
Jeff Landau - Alto, Tenor, Baritone Sax
Jay Harwitt - Piano
Bill Cates - Clarinet, Flute, Piccolo
Leeav Sofer - Clarinet
Leanne Powers - Clarinet, Bass Clarinet
Jordan Evans - Bass
Brenda Adelante -Trumpet
Jim Lewis -Trumpet
Jesse Korn - Trumpet
Craig Kupka - Trombone
Jonathan Weisz - Violin
Jeff Cain - Drums
Joseph Braun - Percussion
”
I would like to add a special thank you to Sam Haddad, who transported the platforms and set them up; Ben Donenberg and Shakespeare Festival LA for loaning us the platforms and other set pieces, along with cordless microphones; and Robert Brown who is endlessly helping us be successful in whatever we try to do.

Thank you to the parents, children, and spouses of all of our participants here for their support. Since I am writing this article three weeks before the production, I am sure that I missed a few more people who will be jumping in to help towards the actual performances. I will include them in my next article. Just know that you are all an integral part of this event and we couldn’t do it without you!

Much love and many thanks to all of you!

Cantor Judy