Cantor Klein, Lag B'Omer, etc.

Cantor Klein, Lag B'Omer, etc.
This month on May 7th, B'nai Moshe will be honoring and celebrating the memory and importance to the congregation of my predecessor, colleague and friend, Hazzan Louis Klein, z.l. During Shabbat services we will be dedicating the Hazzan Louis Klein Chapel and Multipurpose Room. As part of the festivities, the Men's High Holiday choir will sing at the Kiddush following services and I will be leading Shabbat Z'mirot and songs. I would like to invite anyone who was a "v'ne'emar" boy / girl to join me in leading Birkat Hamazon at the luncheon. I look forward to seeing the many souls touched by this great Cantor coming to this wonderful moment in our congregation's history to honor his life and accomplishments.
Lag (lamed and gimel in Hebrew) means 33. On the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer (Lag B'Omer), we stop or take a break from our mourning. Lag B'Omer is a semi-holiday, an interruption in the Sefirat HaOmer period of mourning. Weddings, festivities, music, dancing and haircuts are allowed.
Two events took place in Jewish history which led to the celebration of Lag B'Omer. On the 33rd day of the Omer, Rabbi Akiva's students stopped dying. And Rabbi Akiva started to, once again, began teaching the Torah to new students, including one Shimon bar Yochai. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, the author of the central work of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) called the Zohar, also died on this day. His death is a celebration because on the day of his death he revealed the light of the Torah to his students.
Many celebrate Lag B'Omer with large bonfires. The fires are symbolic of the light of the Torah which was revealed by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. The Zohar, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's book of Kabbalah, means bright light. In Israel, many travel to the grave of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in the northern town of Meron. Among other festivities which take place in Meron on Lag B'Omer, many 3 year old boys receive their first haircut.
Often school children play with bows and arrows on Lag B'Omer. This play commemorates the warlike activities of Rabbi Akiva's students during the time of the Bar Kochva revolt against the Romans. In addition, kabbalists associate the bows and arrows with rainbows, which is a symbol of redemption.

At the end of the month, 1:00 p.m. on the Friday of Lag B'Omer, I will present a taste of a new program which will become a regular education program beginning in the Fall; "The Cantor's Listening Room." This will be an hour program, once a week, listening and discussing recordings both old and new of Jewish music. Learn about the composers, performers and texts. Discuss the various styles of music, both secular and religious. If you would be interested in participating in this new program, contact the office or Nancy Kaplan, Adult Ed Chair, with your time and day preferences.