Blog Archives - The Creating Calm Publishing Group

Singing, Signing and Selected Music with Judy Caplan Ginsburgh

5/26/2014

Imagine feeling the vibration of the sounds and the words, feeling them as they float across time and space. Now imagine adding a visual component that takes in body movements further engaging you in the sensations of the music.

That is what Judy Caplan Ginsburgh has been doing for more than a dozen years. A cantor, she sings, plays guitar and also signs the music. Not all at the same time, of course.

In her CD Singing and Signing Hebrew Blessings and Songs, Judy instructs you in the basics of sign language beginning with the sign alphabet. Then she leads you step-by-step as you learn to sign eight Hebrew blessings and songs on a beginner level using American sign language. Included are the Sabbath blessings, Ma Yafeh Hayom, Shema and Al Shelosha Devarim. This instructional DVD is designed for teachers and parents to learn from so that they can in turn teach their students and children how to sing and sign Hebrew blessings and songs.

Like tapping, drumming, or dancing, signing adds another layer of engagement and sensation.

What do you do to increase engagement in your services or spiritual practice?

Judy Caplan Ginsburgh

Judy Caplan Ginsburgh: Singing and Signing Hebrew Blessings and Songs

Judy Caplan Ginsburgh: Havdalah Pajama

Judy Caplan Ginsburgh: Boker Tov /Laila Tov

Judy Caplan Ginsburgh: Sing Along & Smile with Judy

Judy Caplan Ginsburgh: A Flower Is An Educated Weed

Judy Caplan Ginsburgh: You

Judy Caplan Ginsburgh: The Judy Caplan Ginsburgh Jewish Family Music Collection

Judy Caplan Ginsburgh: Shalom Yeladim/Hello Children

Judy Caplan Ginsburgh: Amazing Songs For Amazing Jewish Kids

Judy Caplan Ginsburgh

Judy Caplan Ginsburgh: Chanukah Favorites

"You Can Only Chant in the Present" Jill Purce in Deepak Chopra Interview

5/25/2014

Written by Women: Bound by the Community

5/25/2014

Scribes Julie Seltzer, Hanna Klebansky and Shoshana Gugenheim

Come participate in sewing a Torah scroll to be delivered to the City Shul congregation of Toronto. The evening will include a panel discussion moderated by Rabbi Ruth Gan Kagan, text study and participatory sewing of the Scroll. Men, women and teens of all affiliations are invited to partake. Sunday, May 25th, the 41st of the Omer, 8:00 pm Congregation Kol HaNeshama, 1 Asher Street, Baka, Jerusalem

Sponsored by: Congregations Kol HaNeshama, Nava Tehila and City Shul, Toronto, Ontario

Cantor by Surprise: Marci Vitkus

5/22/2014

Cantor Marci Vitkus has served the Jewish Congregation of Venice since October 2001. Her career as a cantor was a big surprise! Trained as an early childhood educator, she was a preschool director and owner for 13 years. Then came the call from a choir director which changed the course of her life. She interviewed at his synagogue, they hired her that day and she has never looked back. She has proudly officiated at over 100 weddings, mostly Jewish-interfaith, as well as baby-namings and funerals. She feels blessed to be part of an amazingly warm & accepting congregation. She doesn’t have lots of fancy awards but thinks her husband, Andy, and two kids, Max & Sadie are awards enough. She is a member and serves on the Board of the Women Cantors’ Network.

Every Day Is A New Day

5/22/2014

Susan Colin: Be Strong

Susan Colin: Prayer of the Heart

Susan Colin: Every Day

Susan Colin: Shabbat Favorites

Shefa Gold: "There I Will Give You My Love"

5/21/2014

Shefa Gold

Shefa Gold talking about chanting: Sham etayn et dodai lach / There I will give you my love. (Song of Songs 7:13) "This is a practice of strengthening and refining our deepest and finest intentions to love God through each moment and detail of our lives. Before the chant begins, imagine before you the landscape of your life - all the small details that make up your day. Then when you chant the word "Sham - (there)," focus the force of your love into a particular detail or relationship of your daily routine. Imagine bringing the power of Love (a love that embraces the mystery of the Whole), to everything you do... "

Wedding and Life Cycle Event Music

5/21/2014

Wedding Music - Community Thought Questions:

What is a wedding without music?

Who chooses the music?

Does their intention or connection with the music matter?

Who plays or contributes to the music?

Does their connection and intention impact the event?

Think of the last wedding or memorable event you went to, what part did music take in the event?

What do you remember about the music?

When someone comes to your congregation, organization or event for the first time, how do they feel about the music?

Do you know what the impact of the music is?

Saul Kaye Pioneer of Jewish Blues

5/21/2014

Listen to Sual Kaye's rendition of Lecha Dodi here or one of the dozen other pieces on his new Kabbalat Shabbat album.

Saul Kaye is the pioneer of JEWISH BLUES. Saul has brought together the sounds of the struggle of the African Slaves in this country with the history of the Jewish slavery experience.

Saul has shared stages with all the top name performers in the Jewish world in the last 3 years. Craig Taubman, Dan Nichols, Idan Raichel, Josh Nelson, Joshua Nelson, and Rick Recht. Kaye has played the Greater Jewish Chicago Festival, Atlanta Jewish Music Festival, Philadelphia Jewish Music Festival, Boulder Jewish Music Festival, the Wexner Institute as well as the URJ Biennial, Aleph Kallah, and LIMMUD UK. He is musical director for Peninsula Temple Beth El in San Mateo for High Holidays.

After releasing 3 volumes of Jewish Blues, Kaye began leading Shabbat services in 2010 and has led over 120 in the last 3 years. Kaye wrote a Kabbalat Shabbat CD and now leads services most every Friday and Saturday in communities all over the country with these new melodies. Playing 130-200 concerts, services, ‘edutainment sessions’, and workshops a year, Kaye is illuminating the Jewish World with old soul and new melodies.

Kaye’s latest release, Kabbalat Shabbat, is a celebration of the Friday night prayer service. On this Cd, Kaye, born in South Africa, explores his African Roots with deep rhythms and percussion, sweet harmonies, and has guest artists. Enjoy new melodies to familiar T’filah.

" 'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.' Intention is spiritual planning, I set an intention before every concert, service, edutainment session, or Festival that I play and even during the event I bring it to mind to realign myself with my higher purpose which is to bring Jews home." - Saul Kaye.

"Music is the connective tissue between all the elements of my life, it is the glue that holds my world together and the oxygen that nourishes my spirit and opens me up to Hashem and connecting to the community around and in front of me." - Saul Kaye

"I'm honored to be considered for a project of this depth and breadth. Thank you for the opportunity to contribute!" - Saul Kaye

Brian Yosef Schachter-Brooks Inspired by Martin Buber

5/20/2014

Brian Yosef Schachter-Brooks

Brian Yosef Schachter-Brooks

Inspired by Martin Buber's writing while procrastinating from piano practice at High School Jazz camp, Brian Yosef began a quest for finding the inner truths of Judaism, beyond dogma and tradition. Finding that truth ironically led him back to tradition. Brian Yosef currently serves as Interim Spiritual Director and Music Director at Chochmat HaLev in Berkeley, teaching and leading musical prayer services. His teaching, "Torah of Awakening", explores Judaism through the lens of awareness and inner liberation. His band, Captain Zohar, plays original Jewish devotional and concert music. He holds a Bachelor in Musical Composition from the Eastman School of Music. He received ™mikha (ordination) as Minister of Sacred Music from Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. He lives in Oakland with wife Lisa and two children, to whom he owes constant gratitude for keeping him far from cheap substitutes for G-d.

Listen in here to an original musical piece from Brian Yosef Schachter-Brooks, The Hashkiveinu Prayer

Faith Hayflich Explores Light, Chanting and Meditation

5/14/2014

Faith Hayflich

P. Faith Hayflichis President of Congregation Emanu-El, a small Reform congregation in Spokane WA. She spent many years as a small business owner in Silicon Valley and visiting Yasodhara Ashram in British Columbia, where she explored the mind-body-spirit connection, reflected deeply on her life, and learned how to meditate on light and chant. She eventually moved to Spokane in order to teach yoga and meditation and spend more time at the ashram. In 2008, wanting to learn more about the tradition she grew up with, Faith began exploring Judaism. She is currently studying for her adult Bat Matzvah and combines Jewish and yogic meditation practices. Faith sings, laughs and (tries to) meditate daily in Spokane.