It’s not exactly “Rosh Hashana the musical,” yet Temple Emanuel’s worship service at 6:30 p.m. Sunday to mark the first evening of Jewish New Year 5773 will be a song-and-dance-filled version of past formal observances.
“We’re trying to do something radically different, and it’s a bit of a risk,” Rabbi Joe Black said.
At Rosh Hashana Unplugged, Rabbis Black and Brian Immerman will be joined on the bimah by musician Steve Brodsky and his Shabbat Unplugged band.
Rosh Hashana is a joyous time of year when the sanctuary is full, Black said. “I like to think of it as a family reunion.”
Yet he has noticed the turnout has been a little thinner in recent years. Attendance by young people especially has been waning at Temple Emanuel, Denver’s largest Jewish congregation. Its 2,000 households make it one of the country’s 10 largest Reform Judaism congregations.
So the rabbi is introducing Rosh Hashana Unplugged, a music-centered innovative worship service he says will bring together traditional musach and contemporary melodies in the social hall.
The whole service will feature music, singing, dancing, clapping hands and celebrating being Jewish, he said. “We want to be true to this joyous time of year. We want to encourage people to join it.”
There will be no prayer book. Prayers and songs will be projected on a screen.
“I know it’s not for everybody,” Black said. “We know there are members of our congregation to whom this will not speak at all.”
So, in the nearby sanctuary, a traditional Erev Rosh Hashana service will be held concurrently.
Rosh Hashana Unplugged may or may not bring more people to the service, Black said, but he’ll soon find out.
“People come to worship through many different doorways,” he said. “We want to give them new ways of experiencing Judaism.”
Electa Draper: 303-954-1276, edraper@denverpost.com or
