July 2025- Sounds of Summer

🎵“Summertime, summertime, sum sum summertime…”🎶 Some of you may remember this song by The Jamies, recorded in 1958. It was all about kids who were happy to be out of school and looking forward to summer vacation.  I’m sure we all felt that way at some point.

For me, happily, summer now means going BACK to school -- well, not literally, but gathering with my colleagues and learning together. I have been fortunate enough to attend several conferences in the Northeast this spring and summer where Rabbis, Cantors, and Religious School Educators have come together to share their knowledge, to network, and just to have our kind of fun.  I’ve brought back ideas, melodies, and prayer settings, some of which I have already shared at our services and will continue to do.  At these conferences I’ve also shared some of my teachings, which you either have heard or will hear.  I’ve met folks from everywhere, even stumbling upon a Cantor from the West coast who is actually related to me, as it turns out.  And at all of these, we sing, sing, sing!

At Beth Samuel one of our own summertime traditions is our popular Shabbat in the Park, with a delicious pot luck picnic and our short singing Kabbalat Shabbat service.  We sing new and old melodies, and I’m happy to do songs you would like to sing, including secular, too. I take requests!

Be sure to join us for Shabbat in the Park this Friday, July 18, at Old Economy Park at 6 pm to usher in the Sabbath together.  We will sing, sing, sing, and we need your voice! (RSVP here.)

B’shalom, b’shir, in peace and in song,
Cantor Rena