Kol Jeshurun

Senior Cantor Emeritus Howard M. Stahl shares his thoughts on TBJ's 175 years.

Jen Biegelsen joined Rabbi Matthew D. Gewirtz to discuss his new book 'To Build a Brave Space: The Making of a Spiritual First Responder'.

Here is the conversation that took place on Friday December 2, 2022 at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun.

Congregant Rachel Braverman shares her courageous journey through discovering and overcoming breast cancer.

Originally delivered October 5th, 2022 at Temple B'nai Jeshurun during the Yom Kippur Afternoon Healing Service.

Congregational friend Jill Goldstein shares her heart breaking 9.11 loss, her healing renewal in newfound love, and all in the context of her relationship with God and her Jewish faith.

Congregation B’nai Jeshurun Music Director Matt Turk sits down with legendary Cantor Jeffrey Klepper to discuss how Cantor Klepper, Rabbi Daniel Friedlander and Debbie Friedman “torpedoed" Reform Judaism, Jazz legend Arnie Lawrence, Rabbi Chaim Stern’s importance and bringing guitar to liturgical music. Episode 2 of 2.

With humility, grace and courage, TBJ’s Julie Cohn shares her family's recent experiences with Covid-19.

TBJ Music Director Matthew J. Turk explores the folk process through three melodies Et Dodim, Yis’m’chu V’mal’chut’cha and Hinei Mah Tov, discovering similarities, differences and the distinction between oral and written tradition in folk music.

Former Ambassador of Israel to the US, Michael Oren discusses his new book "To All Who Call in Truth"

Today on Kol Jeshurun we highlight music written by Israeli composers throughout the ages performed as our Sermon in Song on April 16, 2021 in honor of Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's Independence Day. Presented by Cantor Lucy Fishbein, Rabbi Matthew Gewirtz, Cantoral Intern Jenna Mark, Matthew J. Turk, Music Director and the TBJ Band.

Kabbalat shabbat:

Artza alinu – Israeli pioneer folk song

Tzena, Tzena - Issachar Miron & Julius Grossman

Mah yafeh hayom – Issachar Miron & Julius Grossman

Zamru l’Adonai – Yoel Sykes

L’cha dodi – Mordechai Ze’ira

Sermon in Song

Ani V’atah – 1971 – Arik Einstein, Miki Gavrielov

Shir Lashalom – 1970 – Yair Rosenblum

Shir la’ahava (yachad) – 1999 – Gili Liber

Yih’yeh Tov – Yonatan Gefen, David Broza

Every morning one of our clergy and staff goes live on Facebook for a morning message called “Boker Tov (Good Morning) TBJ”. This week on Kol Jeshurun, you will hear a few highlights from the last month of Boker Tov messages including reflections, meditations, and song.

S'fatai Tiftach (Music by Beit T'filah Israeli)

Elohai N'shama (Music by Craig Taubman)

Produced by Cantor Lucy B. Fishbein

Theme Music composed by Matthew J. Turk

TBJ Music Director Matthew J Turk shares four Passover melodies providing historical context TBJ Music Director Matthew J Turk shares four Passover melodies providing historical context and offering space for reflection on their spiritual meaning today.

Theme Music & Production by Matthew J. Turk

#ICYMI

This week on Kol Jeshurun, we revisit Shabbat Services on March 19th, 2021. Listen as our guest speaker, Mark Gerson, presents about the wisdom of the Haggadah in celebration of the publication of his new book "The Telling: How Judaism's Essential Book Reveals the Meaning of Life".

https://www.therabbishusband.com/

This week on Kol Jeshurun, your clergy present reflections, music and moments of memory to honor the year that has passed and hope for what is to come.

Rabbi Matthew Gewirtz and Cantor Howard Stahl reflect on what they and we have learned throughout this past year of the pandemic.

Produced by Cantor Lucy B. Fishbein

Theme Music by Matthew J. Turk

This week on Kol Jeshurun, Rabbi Perolman is joined by Dr. Nancy Simpkins who has been our "North Star" throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr Simpkins answers all our questions about the vaccine, who can get it, why we should get it, and what we can expect in the months ahead.

Produced by Cantor Lucy B. Fishbein

Theme Music by Matthew J. Turk

This week on Kol Jeshurun, Rabbi Karen Glazer Perolman is in Conversation with Rabbi Sari Laufer from Stephen Wise Temple (LA). They discuss the book of Esther, Vashti and how these women shape the holiday of Purim for all of us.

This week on Kol Jeshurun, Rabbi Karen Glazer Perolman is in conversation with Debbie Evans, LCSW and Jordyn Feingold, MAPP and Medical Student about how we navigate a COVID world with compassion for ourselves and others.

Produced by Lucy B. Fishbein

Theme Music by Matthew J. Turk

In this weeks installment of Kol Jeshurun, Rabbi Gewirtz has a roundtable discussion with four congregational lay leaders who have been at the helm of TBJ's Synagogue Board during times of communal and national crisis. Using this weeks Torah portion, Parshat Yitro, as a framework, Rabbi Gewirtz discusses what leadership means during times of acute crisis and how we move forward with wisdom and healing.

Transcription available: https://images.shulcloud.com/3262/uploads/Episode4LeadershipinTimesofCrisisTranscript.pdf

Featuring:

Charles Dreifus (President 1988-90)

Richard Zucker (President 2001-2)

Maureen Spivack (President 2011-14)

Craig Parker (President 2019-Current)

Produced by Lucy B. Fishbein

Theme Music by Matthew J. Turk

In this weeks episode of Kol Jeshurun, Rabbi Matthew Gewirtz and Rabbi Karen Glazer Perolman are in conversation with best-selling author, Erica Keswin. Listen as they discuss how rituals have the ability to impact the way we engage with our everyday activities and change the way we live our lives, particularly during these turbulent times.

Erica Keswin is the author of Rituals Roadmap (2021) and Bring Your Human to Work (2019).

To purchase Erica’s new book visit https://ericakeswin.com/rituals-roadmap/

Produced by Cantor Lucy B. Fishbein

Theme Music by Matthew J. Turk

Congregation B’nai Jeshurun Music Director Matt Turk sits down with legendary Cantor Jeffrey Klepper to discuss “Shalom Rav”, the importance of camp music and how it changed Reform Judaism, becoming a composer, the guitar and his “Ah-Ha” moment at the Chasidic Music Festival.

Episode 1 of 2.

Listen as Rabbi Karen Glazer Perolman reflects on the events of the 2021 Presidential Inauguration and this week's Torah Portion, Parshat Bo. How does the biblical story of the Egyptian Pharaoh's heart being hardened help us reflect on the ways in which the last 5 years have hardened our hearts? How might we become more open hearted in the weeks and months to come?

L’dor Vador - Music & Lyrics by Josh Nelson

Vocals: Lucy B. Fishbein

Guitar: Matthew J. Turk

Piano: Pedro D’Aquino

Percussion: Eran Fink Violin: Benjamin Sutin

Produced by Lucy B. Fishbein

Theme Music Composed by Matthew J. Turk

On this edition of Kol Jeshurun, Cantor Lucy B. Fishbein and Matthew J. Turk share American folk songs from Shabbat Services on January 8th, 2021. Listen as Cantor Fishbein shares thoughts on the ways in which music frames our experiences, prayers and identity.

This Land is Your Land (Woody Guthrie)

If I Had a Hammer (Lee Hays and Pete Seeger)

America the Beautiful (Katherine Lee Bates, Samuel A. Ward)

Oseh Shalom (Nurit Hirsch)

Produced by Lucy B. Fishbein & Matthew J. Turk

Theme music composed by Matthew J. Turk

Cantor Lucy B. Fishbein offers a d'var torah on this week's Torah portion - Terumah - and its most famous line:

"וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם."

“Prepare for me a sanctuary​, that I may dwell within you.” - Exodu​s 25:8

07:18 - Lord Prepare Me (J.W. Thompson & R. Scruggs)

Vocals: Cantor Emma Lutz & Cantor Lucy B. Fishbein

Audio Production, Piano & Guitar: David Kates

Produced by Lucy B. Fishbein

Theme Music by Matthew J. Turk

Listen as Cantor Lucy B. Fishbein and TBJ Music Director Matthew J. Turk perform a unique arrangement of the civil rights era anthem Abraham, Martin and John by Dion DiMucci in honor of Martin Luther King Day.

Vocals: Lucy B. Fishbein

Guitar & Mandolin: Matthew J. Turk

Theme music composed by Matthew J. Turk

A lifelong educator from Newark, New Jersey's South Ward, Charity Haygood speaks on social and economic justice in the context of biblical enslavement and wandering. Haygood asks from our Liturgy, “When will redemption come? When we grant everyone what we claim for ourselves.”

Originally aired during Shabbat services in the Summer of 2021.

Produced and edited by Matt Turk, TBJ's music director.

Theme Music by Matt Turk.

TBJ's Music Director, Matthew J. Turk presents a special musical presentation celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This program was made possible by the generosity of the Dreifus Family in honor of their Aunt Esther Teidor. The video of this presentation can be found here.

Directed and arranged by Matthew J. Turk, Music Director

Lead Vocals: Cantor Lucy B. Fishbein, Matthew J. Turk

Quartet:

Marni Raab, Halley Gilbert, Ethan Fran, Michael Tedesco

Band:

Gary Schreiner, Piano

Dave Richards, Bass

Ben Sutin, Violin

Eran Fink, Drums

Sound Engineer: Jim Ferrante

Produced: Cantor Lucy B. Fishbein

Welcome to Kol Jeshurun, a podcast of Congregation B’nai Jeshurun. In this introduction episode, listen to Rabbi Matthew D. Gewirtz and Rabbi Leah H. Sternberg chat about how this podcast came to be, and hear a taste of what is to come.

Theme music composed by Matthew J. Turk