As we prepare for the holidays the music office becomes a very busy place. I could not get through this time of year without my amazing support team of accompanist Ivanka Driankova and choir director Jason Berger, who make sure that the choir and I are prepared to sing the hundreds of thousands of notes. Ivanka and Jason are working diligently behind the scenes and often go unnoticed, so please make sure you seek them out to say Todah Rabah for all that they do! Special thanks also to our TBK High Holy Day choir, who take on the tremendous task of learning pages and pages of music in just four short rehearsals.

A quick reminder about the music you will hear during the holidays. This year many of the melodies are different than we are used to hearing at our weekly Shabbat services. The traditional chants and melodic patterns that we hear in our liturgy are called nusach. The term nusach literally means "version." It is also a musical term, reflecting the modality of music that is specific to a particular place in the service, time of day, day of the week, or in this case a specific holiday of the year. The nusach melody is there to be a reminder to us both musically and spiritually that the holiday has indeed arrived. At TBK, we use the nusach for several prayers in our High Holiday services: Chatzi Kaddish, Barchu, and Mi Chamocha are a few examples of places where the holiday nusach is heard. I hope this reminder of why we do what we do will help the holidays become more meaningful for you!

Our very first chance to hear the nusach mode is at our Selichot service on Saturday September 4 at 7:00 p.m. We hope you will join us for this musical gem of a service to kick off our holiday season.

If you are interested in getting involved in planning or helping with our music committee, please contact me or Sandra Arnold, our music committee chair. Vital music programming can only happen with your support!

L'shana tova,
Keri Lopatin Berger
Cantorial Soloist & Director of Music

Presented by the Lawrence R. Klepper Family Fund

The Fifth Annual Chamber Music Concert presented by the Lawrence R. Klepper Family Fund on July 18th featured RPO Concertmaster Juliana Athayde, RPO Principal Cellist Stefan Reuss, RPO Principal Violist Marc Anderson, RPO Principal Flutist Rebecca Gilbert and RPO Violinist Patricia Sunwoo. Nearly 300 attended the free concert and enjoyed works by Haydn and Mozart. We are thankful to the Klepper Family for providing this musical interlude.

If you are interested in participating in future musical opportunities, please call the music office at 244-7060 ext. 231 or email music@tbk.organd ask us to add you to our mailing list.

Our RPO@TBK event provided more than delightful entertain-ment to a crowd of nearly 300. The concert, held July 8th, featured conductor Jeff Tyzik and RPO Search for a Star winners Christen Greer on violin and Demian Spindler on trumpet. Our annual fundraiser brought in $10,000 for temple.

Our heartfelt thanks also goes to the local businesses who contributed prizes for the raffle: Black & Blue Restaurant, the JCC Film Festival, Raymour and Flanigan, Richard's Fine Jewelers, RPO and Windsor Cottage.

Many thanks to all those who bought tickets and raffle tickets in support of this event, especially our contributors at the Underwriter Level, Joyce & Warren Heilbronner; Founders Level, Betsy & Stuart Bobry and Carol & Stuart Hantman; Fireworks Level, Felicia & Jeff Cerini, Eric Dreyfuss, Joan & Harold Feinbloom, Burt Gordon, Carol & Jerry Leichtner, Hinda & Michael Miller, Burt Nadler, Ellen & Harry Rosen, and Melanie & Jeremy Wolk; and Star Level, Etta Atkin, Joan & Bob Clar, Richard Eisenberg, Lisa & Joel Elliot, Sandra & David Goldman, Jan & Mike Kamish, Cookie Kaplan, Daryl & Charles Kaplan, Eleanor Lewin, Jane & Jim Littwitz, Sue & Michael Lococo, Joan & Art Segal, Carol Shulman, Gene & Lou Spiro, Blossom & Carl Voldman, Bev & Morrie Weinstein, Robin & Michael Weintraub and Bobby & Jerry Zakalik.

Courtesy of the Goldberg Berbeco Foundation

Barry Kaplan (of blessed memory) and his family became members of TBK in 1972. He and his wife Sondra (Cookie) raised their three children at TBK - Stacy, Howard and Carin. Cookie is still a member, active as a volunteer for the fundraising committee and in the TBK office.

After graduation from Syracuse University, Barry founded his own accounting firm, first with Jerry Stern and later changed to David, Schulman, Kaplan & Braverman. The firm became a leading accounting and tax firm in Rochester and Barry became a mentor to young people starting their accounting careers. Before his death in 2006, Barry was active with many community activities such as Compeer, the JCC and the Accounting Society. He also provided his expertise to TBK by serving on the Board, Finance and Endowment Committees and funding some of the various projects at TBK.  

This generous contribution is made in Barry’s name by the Goldberg Berbeco Foundation. The funds will be used to support Jazz Shabbat services, helping to pay for the musicians as well as an enhanced Oneg Shabbat following the service. These special musical services in 2009 - 2010 will be Friday October 30, Friday January 15 (at our joint service with Mt. Olivet Baptist Church and commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr.) and Friday April 30.

Thank you to the Goldberg Berbeco Foundation for their support of our temple family.