For the last three weeks, I led a series of Song Circles. What is a song circle, you might ask? The most obvious answer is that it is a group of people gathered to sing, and they do so while sitting in a circle. The facilitator brings a collection of songs and shares lyrics. In our case, lyrics were provided in English and Hebrew with both translations and transliterations - we want to make sure everyone can participate. We make sure we know who is in the room, sharing names and saying each of our favourite songs. And then, we sing - call and response, words and wordless niggunim: using harmonies, 'oos and ahhs'. We sing out full-voiced and also get quiet in order to listen deeply to the voices around us.

On Shabbat, we will hear the Song of the Sea chanted from this week’s Torah portion, Beshalach. We follow the story of the people of Israel as they flee Egypt, arriving at the edge of the sea and beginning to cross through. According to the Torah, it is when they arrived at the other edge of the sea, safe from the Egyptians, that they sing. Az Yashir Moshe u’vnei Yisrael - and then Moses and the people sang. There is a commentary, however, that suggests that maybe the people began to sing while they were in the midst of crossing. In this interpretation, they didn’t only sing out once they had arrived in the clearing, they sang each other through the narrows.

When they did arrive, what did it sound like? I imagine, as I suggested to the songbirds of the song circles, that the responses were as varied as the number of people. There were those who fell to their feet in relief, in fatigue, in anguish and they sang out; there were those who cried out to God, who greeted others with joy, and, as we know, those who danced while they sang.

We each bring a unique voice to the circle, and it is that unique expression that helps to complete the song.

Az yashir Moshe U’vnei Yisrael - And then, each person who ever was and who ever will be sang. They are singing still and they will sing far into the future, accompanying each other through the narrows, into the expanse and back again. Let us lean into the opportunities to bring our voices to support each other, lifting each other up in connection and community this Shabbat and in the days going forward.

Please join me in welcoming our Scholar in Residence Dr. Galeet Dardashti this weekend. We will celebrate Shabbat Shira - The Sabbath of Song, learning and singing with Galeet, culminating in Monajat, an exquisite concert performance on Saturday night.

In song,

Shabbat Shalom.

Aviva