The Sacred Sounds of Jewish Mysticism was held on Wed., Oct. 13, 7 pm at the Westwood United Methodist Church as part of the World Festival of Sacred Music.
Tslil Aleph-161 ("The Sound of Aleph-161")
Virtuoso
guitarist Adam del Monte performed his unique composition of kabbalistic
meditation music. Del Monte devised a complex system of connection
between letters of the Hebrew alphabet and the notes of the musical scale.
The performance provided a musical translation of kabbalistic meditation
formulas and prayers as developed by Sephardic and Hassidic mystics.
tHishtapchut HaN'Shamah
("The Outpouring of the Soul") Cantor Eva Robbins & Rabbi
Stephen Robbins, of Congregation N'Vay Shalom performed Torah chants, where
a musical notation known as trope illuminates and celebrates the Pentateuch,
or Five Books of Moses. This performance unveiled some of the hidden
meaning of Torah, as he singing of the sacred text is considered by Jewish
mystics to be the highest form of study and prayer. The program offered
by the Robbins' invited audience participation through meditation and chanting.
The Sacred Sounds of Jewish Mysticism was followed by a reception open to the public, co-produced by Ivri-NASAWI and the Westwood United Methodist Church.