Our final Elul offering is the beautiful setting of the Hannah Szenesh poem “Yesh Kochavim,” (There are stars). Sung at our Yizkor service and at many Holocaust remembrances, the melody is written by Jeff Klepper, a cantor and influential figure within Contemporary Jewish religious music, particularly the "American nusach" scene. He has performed with Rabbi Dan Freelander as part of the group Kol B'Seder since 1972. Their melody for Shalom Rav is the most popularly sung version throughout the world. His compositions have been preserved in the Milken Archive of Jewish Music. Jeff was ordained at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and earned a Master’s in Music from Northeastern Illinois University. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Music from HUC-JIR in 2005. He co-edited the song section in the Reform prayer book, Mishkan T’filah, and co-founded (with Debbie Friedman) the annual Hava Nashira song-leader workshop. The piano accompaniment was arranged by Andrea Jill Higgins, a prominent pianist, composer and arranger who served 29 years as music director of Temple Solel, Paradise Valley, Arizona.
Singing along with Cantor Jonathan Grant is our TBY Professional vocalists, Lisa Naulls, Debbie Williams, Shannon Miller, Daniel Babcock, David Stoneman, William Wells (Conductor), and Kemp Smeal (Accompaniest).
For more information about Temple Bat Yahm's High Holy Day Services & Programs, visit www.tby.org
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