Hava Nashira 2003

The 12^th Annual Song Leading and Music Conference, held at Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.

This was my 10^th year attending this incredible event, and each year it only gets bigger and better. There were more than 180 participants from the United States, Canada and England. The participants are cantors, song leaders, music teachers, musicians, rabbis and educators; all with a passion for music, education and Judaism.

The Staff:

Merri Arian, Cantor Rosalie Boxt, Cantor Ellen Dreskin, Debbie Friedman, Cantor Jeff Klepper and Rabbi Dan Freelander (Kol B’Seder), Dan Nichols, Craig Taubman

Special Guest: Theodore Bikel

The Program:

The program included choral music, after-meal song sessions, services, core curriculum, electives, sharing sessions, and the always popular late night open mic.

This year’s core curriculum sessions included: Israeli music, religious school curriculum, musical liturgy, songs for tikkun olam (reparation of the world) and a retrospective on the music of NFTY (North American Federation of Temple Youth). There was also a program on American Folk Music and a session in which the staff presented some of their own new music with us.

The elective sessions I attended were: Group Building Games and Activities, led by Craig Taubman; and Building Community Through Music, led by Debbie Friedman. I also attended a Children’s Music/Religious School sharing session.

This year we were especially honored to be entertained and taught by actor/singer Theodore Bikel. He performed three programs of Yiddish music and stories (with a few show-business stories thrown in here and there!). He also sang requests for If I Were a Rich Man from Fiddler on the Roof (having played Tevya on and off for more than 35 years) and Edelweiss from The Sound of Music (he was the original Captain Von Trapp on Broadway). As he shared with us his phenomenal talents and passion for Judaism, the Yiddish language and it’s continuity, there was often not a dry eye in the house. As the saying goes - we laughed, we cried, it became a part of us!

The highlight of the week is always Shabbat (the Sabbath). Singing and dancing after dinner goes on well into the night. Celebrating Shabbat at Hava Nashira is a truly joyous experience and there’s nothing else like it.

This week is always the high point of my year. I look forward to having the opportunity to learn and share with a group of incredibly talented and dedicated people. And I look forward to passing along what I’ve learned.