Minhag HaMakom: Music of Shabbat at TBJ

Minhag HaMakom translates literally to “the custom of the place” and is used to refer to the local customs in a community. At TBJ, Shabbat is brought to life with the power of music. Week in and week out, the voices of our cantors, our congregation and the incredible musicians who join us in prayer, bring light and meaning to our Shabbat services.

Musical style and expression, like every other custom, evolves with time. At any given moment in Temple B’nai Jeshurun’s 175-year history, the music of Shabbat has been a reflection of the popular styles of the day and the collective voice of our community.

In thinking about how we might mark our 175th anniversary through song, our musical team wanted to record a microcosm of what Shabbat services sound like at TBJ in this moment in time. Ten, twenty or even 100 years ago, the prayers may have been the same but the melodies we used to bring them to life would have been completely different! In every age and stage of Jewish life, the music of our prayer services is a representation of the culture of the community, and this album is a musical time capsule of our congregational minhag, our tradition, today.

The melodies on this record are all examples of what you will hear if you join us for a Shabbat evening or morning service. The composers span the generations; some more contemporary than others. The track list follows the liturgy of the siddur, i.e. the order you will find it within the service. If you listen through, you will find yourself transported to Shabbat services and I hope you will find yourself inclined to sing along.

I want to express my immense gratitude to Ann and Leonard Robinowitz for their generosity in sponsoring the recording of this album and making this project possible. Their family dates back generations at Jeshurun and their commitment to the lasting legacy of music in the congregation is demonstrated by their support of this record.

I hope it brings joy and meaning to your lives.

Cantor Lucy B. Fishbein , Senior Cantor 

TRACK LIST