Blog

By Rob Aronson, Resident Shabbat Musician & High Holy Days Music Coordinator

I am what we officially call a “lifer” at Temple Israel. I went to TI Religious School and still see some of my teachers (Mrs. Stiefel, Mrs. Bernstein, and more) in the halls of TI. I became a Bar Mitzvah with Rabbi Shook — my photo is on the Confirmation wall — and Rabbis Amy and Michael officiated my wedding. In fact, Rabbi Amy and I have been close friends since I was born, and every Rosh Hashanah she and I would sit together as kids and stare at the sculpture on the bimah, trying to match the items with the printed art plate. We have been singing together throughout our entire lives, both at TI and in musical theater at Clayton High School, which makes our musical connection so easy and seamless. In 2006, Rabbi Amy told me about a new idea she had for an experimental monthly Friday night Shabbat service called “Shabbat B’Shir” (translated to “Shabbat in Song”). The idea was a casual, participatory, family-friendly service where people would learn new melodies in a more contemporary style of Jewish music that would be played on guitar. She asked if I would learn a few Jewish songs and help lead it, and while I wasn’t sure what it would be like, I agreed to give it a try. Having had no experience playing Jewish music at the time, I immediately was bit by the Jewish music bug. Eighteen years later, it’s hard for me to imagine what my life would have been like had I not had the privilege of stepping into this role.
 
Over the years, I’ve attended national Jewish songleading conferences such as Song Leader Boot Camp (SLBC) based here in St. Louis and Hava Nashira held at Camp OSRUI in Oconomowoc, WI. These conferences have helped hone my song leading and writing techniques, connected me with a wide network of talented Jewish musicians, and have taught me a new repertoire to bring back to Temple Israel. Perhaps most importantly, it’s at Hava Nashira that I met and became engaged to my wife and musical partner, Julie. Check out “Proposal at Hava Nashira” on YouTube if you want to hear the song I wrote for the occasion!
 
Soon after Julie moved to St. Louis in 2014, we created the Ruach band, comprised of some of our close and talented musician friends. The Hebrew word, “ruach” (which translates to “spirit”) encompasses the emotion that we strive to share through our music. As a vocalist and guitarist in the band, I have been able to bring some of my original Jewish worship compositions to our services. In 2018, I released my debut album of original Jewish music, “Let Us Sing,” which can be found on various music platforms. My song “Hava Nashira” has been adopted by and performed in many congregations in the U.S. and in other countries. Prior to moving, Julie was the Cantorial Soloist at Temple Sinai in Atlanta. She has tutored B’nai Mitzvah students and is currently Mom extraordinaire to our daughters, Sadie and Zoe. Jordan Mandel is a classically trained cellist, bassist, and a TI member, who has played in various orchestras, small ensembles and bands throughout the years. Chris Rowton (piano/percussion) studied music at Southern California’s Vanguard University and has been leading Congregational worship as a vocational church music director since 1989. The Ruach Band has been inspiring our Congregation by leading music for Friday night Shabbat services and for our High Holy Day services since 2014.
 
People often ask how we choose what music to play at each service. While the liturgy (prayers) of the services remain pretty much the same, selecting and rehearsing the right pieces is a detailed process. I talk to the Rabbis and we think about what the mood or feel for each service should be, depending on what’s happening in the world, or what the Torah portion is about, or what the recent milestones are that members of the Congregation have experienced, both joyful and sorrowful. On the High Holy Days, my goal is to provide that perfect blend between those more traditional standard tunes with newer inspirational ones. I am very deliberate when it comes to the music for these services. Each selection needs to be rich in meaning and appropriate for the moment, and I want to make sure that each year feels somehow both familiar and fresh. 
 
I believe that the best way to convey the feeling and mood of a prayer through song is to be as authentic and spiritual as possible. It’s my opinion that that kind of authenticity is the primary way the listener will be able to connect and understand the meaning of the prayer, even if they don’t know Hebrew or the melody is new to them. I hope those who are watching in person or on stream will participate and feel engaged through the music. I look forward to continuing to enrich the Jewish music experience for members of our Temple Israel community for years to come.