Wishing for a traditional prayer service

By Morton Gold

Saying what is on my mind usually gets me in difficulty. As I fasted yesterday (Tisha B’Av), I plead for mercy in the same way that a child who murdered his parents pleads for mercy on the grounds that he is an orphan. My problem, and it may be only my problem, is with what we refer to as services. I suppose technically that is what they are, but not really for me. In actuality these have become and are now (with merciful exception) a kind of farbrengn, or community get-together.

When I was a child (back in the Dark Ages), there really was a service instead of what passes for a service today. At that time most shuls or temples had a hazzan. His job (and in most cases it was a man…and a tenor voice at that) was to be the shaliach tsibur or musical representative of the congregation. He actually chanted the service and was not merely the congregational song leader. On Friday evening, the main prayer was the Hashkiveynu, which was performed by the cantor usually with a mixed choir and in more enlightened places with the aid of an organ. Yes Matilda, I said an organ.

In Boston, for example, every Conservative temple had an organ and an organist to play it. There was not this nonsense that Jews didn’t use an organ, or that it suggested a church, etc. etc. One Pope also did not like to have an organ used. He said that it reminded him of a Jewish service. Of course that was hundreds of years ago. (Maybe that is why one is not used in the Sistine Chapel. Since they are very orthodox they have no women in their choir either. Go Figure.)

The Hashkiveynu is more than an Evening Prayer. If one examines the literal translation, which is hard to find these days, it emphasizes the battle between good and evil. It is not fashionable these days to keep the “adversary” (i.e., Satan) from us. Anyway, if the Hashkiveynu was not sung, the other main musical selection was the Ahavat Olam. The congregation did not expect to sing much more than a Sh’ma, perhaps some congregational tune prior to the rabbi’s sermon (e.g., Ya Ribbon Olam or Shalom Aleichem) and a Yigdal. Yes, for me at any rate, the service was a musical as well as a religious experience. Everyone had their role. The temple musicians made music, the rabbi gave a sermon, and the congregation prayed.

On Saturday morning things are even more out of kilter. Now the main purpose (even if it was the main purpose then as well) is the reading of the Torah. BUT…and this is a big but, the cantor actually sang, even prepared (composed) prayers. As before, the congregation prayed and the rabbi delivered another sermon. Today the cantor, if there is one, accompanies him or herself on a guitar, no longer sings from the bimah, outside of an occasional phrase does not sing alone. The congregation frequently sings most of the prayers. Musically in Conservative and Reconstructionist temples, the tunes are either sound-a-like Ukrainian market songs (or what we like to think of as Hassidic melodies) or some kind of sentimental tunes written not by cantors but rather by entertainers.

In Reform temples the congregational melodies are more discrete and more tasteful but more often than not have a washed-out (no seasoning allowed) character. I will say that the cantors and/or rabbis often sing more convincingly than their counterparts. In the Conservative/Reconstructionist service, the “service” frequently starts off with a discussion of the Torah portion, which can last a half hour or more. In spite of their perceived differences, with regard to the Sabbath service there is more that is similar than different. (The main difference with the Reconstructionists is that they omit Musaf.) When the service is actually begun, many psalms are left out, only those with tunes that are currently popular are used.
The Reconstructionists are more aggressively feminist and look askance at Shir Moshe, Moses Song of Victory. For one thing Moses is mentioned and Miriam is not, and then there is the phrase “The Lord is a MAN of War.” (Oy vey iz mir.) Lord is out of favor (masculine), the euphemisms “Name” or “One” are favorite substitutes. Then there is the word “war.” We are all or should be pacifists. Before Israel won battles, it was comforting to read of a time when we Jews actually were fighters. But I digress. Finally they get to take the Torah out.

The pride and joy of our cantors and also rabbis is the volunteers who week in, week out get to stumble through the seven portions, mostly with trope. In no contract is it written that these people, the pride and joy, the real hoi peloi of their respective temples should be able to sing or even carry a tune! Of course, there may be discussion or commentary on the portions. This portion of the service, which when I was a child was chanted by a professional who literally zipped through the readings, did not take more than 15 or 20 minutes. Nowadays, the torah reading can last up to an hour or longer. The Reconstructionists figure that since the only reason or pretext for a service has been accomplished that there is no reason to delay having the Kiddush (collation if you like). Reform temples follow suit.

Of course in Reform temples, the Torah reading rarely takes longer than ten minutes with the cantor chanting only one portion and the rabbi either doing the Haftorah or speaking for five minutes about the reading. In Conservative services, there is Musaf. There is an alternative reading that omits mention of animal sacrifices. In the days of yore, the most beautiful music was reserved for the Kedusha in the additional service. Also Hallel, if the service called for it, was the occasion of much beautiful music.

The Reform service rarely lasts for more than an hour, while the Reconstructionists last for an hour and a half to two. The Conservative service (if one omits the discussion) goes for at least two, or three if one includes it. Orthodox services last at least three hours. (More singing, also more talking. Sermons also take longer.) The bottom line for me is that the service (either Friday night or Saturday) is not really a service in any traditional sense. Just as many entertainers want to involve the audience by having them try to clap together, the powers that be today want to involve their congregations. Since most of the people do not know Hebrew and cannot “participate” by praying, an alternative approach has been found.

Similarly, the original Hassidim were illiterate and they participated by singing wordless melodies. That was good 300 years ago and it is equally effective today. Let us make the services entertaining. Yes, but entertaining to whom? My problem is that I do not want to “go” to temple to hear the congregants sing. I would like to hear someone with a trained voice and who is also familiar with Nusach do the singing. (I’d also like to hear music composed by Jews written for cantor, mixed choir and organ.) And although the Torah reading is important, does it really have to take up to two thirds of the time? Surely there is or ought to be some musical “hochma” or art in the service. Must one appeal to those who usually or rarely attend services in the first place? I confess that I am not “with the program.”

My defense is simply that the “program” is lacking in merit. The results of all this dumbing down of the service is apparent to anyone who cares to look. There are few if any services during the day of Tisha B’Av, the second day of Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Pesach, or 7th (or 8th) day of Pesach. Oh yes, if there is no bar/bat mitzvah just how crowded is your temple? Not only are we musically poorer for all the changes that have occurred these last few decades but just as important, they haven’t worked. See, I told you that I would get in trouble!

Dr. Gold is a composer, conductor, pianist and retired educator and may be reached at: 6 Webster Street, Springvale, Maine 04083 or by email at drmortongold@yahoo.com.

Updated 8/20/08

Dr. Gold is a composer, conductor, pianist and retired educator and may be reached at: 6 Webster Street, Springvale, Maine 04083 or by email at drmortongold@yahoo.com.