The Ruach: Building Community Through Music

Charlotte Jewish News, June/July 2022

By Peter Levinson

Jews and Judaism have always valued music. Instruments and song were a central part of the Temple service in ancient Israel. In the book of Exodus, we find the Song of the Sea, a poetic tribute to Israel’s miraculous deliverance from the pursuing Egyptians with each Moses and Miriam leading their own version.

The first reference to a “hazzan” as a musical prayer leader appeared around the sixth century. However, the modern cantorate didn’t emerge until the 1700s. This was an era when efforts to create a more modern synagogue service led to the emulation of many features of Christian worship, including the development of a canon of liturgical melodies grounded in Western musical theory and rules of harmony. Some early cantors even began to model themselves after their Christian colleagues, including borrowing the name “cantor,” which had been used to describe the individual who led music in the church. One of these cantors was Salomon Sulzer who, in the early 1800s, composed a melody for the Shema that is commonly used in present day.

Song leaders have been leading kids in song at Jewish summer camps since their inception at the turn of the twentieth century. However, until the 1970s, few, if any, of these songs were used in religious services. However, this began to change with the emergence of Debbie Friedman, who passed away in 2011 at the age of 59. Debbie’s music bridged the old world and the new, bringing the ancient liturgy alive for those who could not always connect to traditional cantorial music.

Now, Debbie’s music is a staple in many synagogues, especially her Mi Shebeirach, which has become one of the most shared melodies in synagogues around the world. Yet it wasn’t always this way. Despite the popularity of her music, Friedman was an outsider in the Jewish musical establishment for most of her life. Not only did Friedman have no cantorial training, but she also never finished college. And she long faced resistance from cantors, rabbis, and others who considered her music inappropriate in synagogue.

Today, in most synagogues, newer Jewish music is interspersed among the traditional prayers and readings. And the role of music continues to evolve. Instead of one or two people playing acoustic guitars and leading a few songs during services, full bands play nearly all the liturgy and prayers set to modern, relatable music. The music is integral to the experience.

The Ruach is a part of this new direction in Jewish spiritual engagement. Each month, the band offers The Shabbat Experience, and The High Holy Days Experience each year. These are modern services built on Jewish tradition and include original music by The Ruach as well as other contemporary Jewish artists. Experiences are uplifting, joyful, and relatable. Rabbi Smookler’s messages are concise, meaningful, and always on point.

Because The Ruach Community has no physical building, services are held at various locations around the city. There is never a cost to attend. Support for Experiences is provided solely by donations and a small grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte. The Ruach is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to spread the joy of Judaism through new Jewish Experiences.