October 22, 2024
Sukkot, like so many Jewish holidays, offers a beautiful opportunity to reflect on the interconnectedness, interdependence, and impermanence of our lives. Yet beyond reflection, Sukkot is a holiday of action. We are encouraged to recognize the bounty in our lives, to open our tents to friends, neighbors, and strangers, to share food and shelter, and to expand our connections and community.
After a challenging 5784, we recognize that—while we cannot predict what the new year will bring—our resilience and hope are strengthened by the relationships we nurture. Together, we can face challenges more boldly, savor moments of joy more deeply, and be uplifted by the power of music to unite and inspire us.
We wish you and your loved ones a sweet and happy new year. May the days ahead be filled with health, happiness, peace, and, of course, music.
This cantorial setting by Moshe Ganchoff for the seventh day of the Festival of Sukkot reflects the “khor-shul” approach to sacred Jewish music developed in Eastern Europe in the 19th century. The text is an acrostic piyyut (liturgical poem) recited during the second of seven processions on that day. The Milken Archive recording of Ganchoff’s masterful setting features Cantor Alberto Mizrahi and Schola Hebraeica with the Finchley Children’s Music Group.
This video highlights key moments from Ganchoff’s 1995 oral history with the Milken Archive, an extended interview conducted in conversation with several of his most accomplished students.
From PRX’s The World: Two Argentine musicologists are on a mission to preserve and share pieces of Argentina’s Jewish musical heritage with songs that have never been recorded.
