An overflow crowd of 1,500 worshippers attending services Friday night at Reform Temple Israel of New York heard a rock oratorio “Prayers For Friday Night,” a mixture of classical strains and gentle rock beat. Rabbi Martin Zion introduced the oratorio as the “now” music. For the occasion both he and Cantor Jonas Javna dispensed with their robes and wore tuxedos.
Feet tapped in rhythm as the four-man choir sang the “Borchu” prayer to the accompaniment of a drum, two guitars, piano and string bass. A few heads shook disapprovingly when Cantor Javna sang the “Shema” in English. In his sermon, the Reform rabbi said, “it is our right to change. Not change for its own sake but for the vitality of our faith.” In announcing plans for the unusual Friday night service, he had declared that it “confronts the needs of many who may not be reached by the traditional modes of worship. It faces the task seriously and with reverence.”
The service was given a standing ovation. The rabbi and the cantor signed autographs and accepted congratulations. The cantor explained that the service had been conceived a year and a half ago when he met composer Gary Friedman at a symposium on Jewish music.
The 19-year-old composer said Jews were aware of the need “for a new sound and Judaism is meeting that need.” Prof. Louis Ronfeldt, chairman of the music department of Mount San Antonio College in California, who attended the service, said he agreed. He said the service carried a “meaningful, moving spiritual message.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
