Temple Beth-El of Great Neck, the recognized home for sophisticated intellectual Judaism on Long Island, will present a special Artists-in-Residence Weekend with guest musicians Soul Zimra for a toe-tapping musical Shabbat on Friday, Nov. 15, and Saturday, Nov. 16.
“Band members Andy, Marcus and Gary are good friends of mine, and as the former Associate rabbi of Congregation B’nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim in Deerfield, Ill., I helped inspire them to form Soul Zimra,” said Temple Beth-El Senior Rabbi A. Brian Stoller. “During my time there, we collaborated on key projects, including starting a musical evening minyan, leading a spiritual and social-action mission to help out the Reform congregation in Joplin, Mo., after a major tornado in 2011, and developing an integrated style of music and text study for Shabbat.”
Along with Temple Beth-El’s The Kehillah Project participants, the community is welcome to join an enhanced Erev Shabbat service on Friday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m., followed by an Oneg Shabbat with sweet treats.
An Integrated Music and Torah Study will be held on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. A Shabbat service honoring congregant and temple board Vice President Danna Sobiecki, along with a delicious bagel brunch, will follow at 10:30 a.m.
Featuring a musical style that combines acoustic guitar, bass guitar and mandolin, Soul Zimra blends modern secular folk, rock and blues music with familiar songs and traditional liturgy to make the prayer experience participatory, contemporary and relevant to our lives today.
“I am very excited for our congregants to experience the deep spirituality and passion of Soul Zimra,” said Rabbi Stoller.
All are invited to share in this complimentary musical Shabbat weekend, but registration is requested for the bagel brunch at https://tinyurl.com/TBENov16.
Temple Beth-El, a leader in shaping the future of pluralistic Judaism on the western North Shore, has served the community for more than 95 years at 5 Old Mill Road in Great Neck. Learn more by visiting www.tbegreatneck.org, calling 516-487-0900 or emailing info@tbegreatneck.org.
