guide to the jewplexed


On Simchat Torah, what's the beat that moves you?ipod

During the service which celebrates the completion of the yearly Torah reading cycle, we cycle too, dancing round with the Torah seven times, singing religious, even folksongish tunes.

During each circling called a "hakafah," someone picks a song and round you go.

If you had your choice of music what would you choose? What songs have shaped your year? Inspired you? Put a beat in your Jewish soul? What's on your Simchat Torah playlist?

Here's my list; complete with Jewish songwriters and/or performers:

(Be sure to let me know what songs would be on yours.)

The verse for the First Hakafah contains the words, "bochen l'vanot," "searcher of hearts." At the end of a year of financial instability, searching for sounds of better times, the words to "Over the Rainbow," written for the movie 'The Wizard of Oz," by Yip Harburg, come to mind:

"Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true."

The Second Hakafah is introduced by a verse that has the words, "clothed in splendor."  Since this year I saw two of my sons clothed in the splendor of college graduation gowns, why not sing along with someone who also experienced a wonderful moment--Motel the tailor. Here's a verse from "Fiddler on the Roof," music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick:

"Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles-
God took the tailor by the hand
Turned him around and- miracle of miracles- Led him to the promised land!"

The Third Hakafah which begins with the words, "Pure and upright," reminds me of wearing white on Yom Kippur and seeking change. Who better to supply some notes for this than Matisyahu singing Bob Marley's, "Redemption Song:"

"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds."

For the Fourth Hakafah, the words, "Save us, Mighty and resplendent," make me want to sing out the news: Long-held captive Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit is coming home in time for Simchat Torah. Who better to lead a hallelujah than Leonard Cohen?

"I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah."

The Fifth Hakafah begins with the phrase, "source of light."
For those who experienced a blackout during Hurricane Irene,
Naomi Shemer, in her classic "Shlomit Boneh Sukkah," (Shlomit builds a sukkah) turns on a bright hopeful light:

"Through the roof of branches,
With a bright glow as though it were a diamond
She will spot a star, saying:
Shalom, wondrous sukkah,
how fine and how pleasing it is
that Shlomit built a sukkah of peace."

(Psychedelic mix by Ubar Tmar.)

The Sixth Hakafah solidifies the set with the words, "rock everlasting."  Jerry Leiber, who created a lot of everlasting rock passed away in 2011. In this selection, we can remember his musical contribution to the classic Ben E. King song, "Stand by Me," which actually draws upon the 46th Psalm for inspiration:

"If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
And the mountains should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me."

The Seventh Hakafah (Are you getting the beat?) keys on the phrase, "supporter of the innocent." This song, by French Israeli singer songwriter, Yael Naim which I first heard in an old MacBook Air ad, is fitting for a time when we all get a new start.

"I'm a new soul
I came to this strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit about how to give and take.
But since I came here
Felt the joy and the fear
Finding myself making every possible mistake."

"La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la..."

Edmon J. Rodman has written about making his own matzah for JTA, Jewish love music for the Jerusalem Post, yiddisheh legerdemain for the Los Angeles Jewish Journal, a Bernie Madoff Halloween mask for the Forward, and what really gets stuck in the La Brea Tar Pits for the Los Angeles Times. He has edited several Jewish population studies, and is one of the founders of the Movable Minyan, an over twenty-year-old chavura-size, independent congregation. He once designed a pop-up seder plate. In 2011 Rodman received a First Place Simon Rockower Award for "Excellence in Feature Writing" from the American Jewish Press Association."