REGGAE PASSOVER TO JOIN CULTURES IN HARMONY.Byline: Holly Andres Staff Writer The message of brotherhood, known as ``Hinay Ma Tov'' when sung in Hebrew during Shabbat services, will be celebrated Sunday when the choirs of Parks Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church African Methodist Episcopal Church, Methodist denomination (see Methodism). It was established in 1816 in Philadelphia with Richard Allen as its first bishop. In 1991 there were about 3.5 million members in the United States. and Temple Beth Hillel perform together during Alan Eder and Friends' Reggae Passover. The combined choir will be joined by an ensemble of singers, drummers and dancers, blending West African West Africa A region of western Africa between the Sahara Desert and the Gulf of Guinea. It was largely controlled by colonial powers until the 20th century. West African adj. & n. and reggae rhythms Reggae Rhythms is a Reggae radio station on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 97 and Dish Network channel 6097. Reggae Rhythms moved from channel 32 to its current location on February 14, 2007. while proclaiming the universal themes of deliverance from slavery and freedom. They also will sing the brotherhood message, which translates to, ``Oh, what a world it would be if all people could live as one.'' ``In the Passover Seder The Passover Seder (Hebrew: סֵדֶר, seðɛɾ, "order", "arrangement") is a Jewish ritual feast held on the first night of the Jewish holiday of Passover (the 15th day of Hebrew month of Nisan). , we re-examine re·ex·am·ine also re-ex·am·ine tr.v. re·ex·am·ined, re·ex·am·in·ing, re·ex·am·ines 1. To examine again or anew; review. 2. Law To question (a witness) again after cross-examination. slavery and experience the liberation,'' said cantor Alan Weiner of Temple Beth Hillel. ``Through that we identify with everyone who is or has been enslaved Enslaved may refer to:
This is the first musical event sponsored jointly by the congregations. The Valley Village temple entered into a covenant with Parks Chapel AME See AIT. Church in San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. last year. The Rev. Randolph Douglas and Rabbi James Kaufman exchanged pulpits this year. ``There are so many ethnic groups here. We live close but we're so separated. We don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. each other's cultures. There's so little we do know about each other's religious practices,'' said La Rue Marshall, choir director at Parks Chapel AME. ``That's why this is exciting for all of us.'' Many of the songs to be performed Sunday are those sung by Jews during a Passover Seder. But Alan Eder, an ethnomusicologist and composer from California Institute for the Arts in Santa Clarita, has given the familiar words a whole new sound. Eder studied West African music at the source, thanks to a Fulbright scholarship in the early 1980s. Participating in Seders after this experience, Eder was inspired to put the two experiences together. ``Why would Christians from a mostly black church get together with Jews? There is a common history of slavery The history of slavery covers many different forms of human exploitation across many cultures and throughout human history. Slavery, generally defined, refers to the systematic exploitation of labor for work and services without consent and/or the possession of other persons as ,'' Eder said. ``The experience of the Israelites has been used as a metaphor for many oppressed op·press tr.v. op·pressed, op·press·ing, op·press·es 1. To keep down by severe and unjust use of force or authority: a people who were oppressed by tyranny. 2. people. ``We call this a community-building event. We're celebrating common ground.'' The Choir of Nations, as the combined choir is billed, will sing four songs. The choir at Parks Chapel AME will venture into new musical and language territory. ``This choir is accustomed to being challenged. These are songs we don't know. Some are in Hebrew and some are in reggae English,'' Marshall said. ``There are intricate rhythms. When you add the new pronunciations, the Hebrew and the movements we do, we're going to be moving!'' Reggae Passover has been presented jointly by Temple Isaiah and First AME Church in Los Angeles for the past three years. It was presented Wednesday at Shomrei Torah Synagogue in West Hills. Rabbi James Kaufman and his wife saw one of the Temple Isaiah performances. Impressed, they asked Eder to create Reggae Torah for the temple's celebration of the scribing of a new Torah in September. ``We shouldn't let religious and cultural differences keep us apart,'' Kaufman said. ``We share a common suffering. We share the same faith-based values. We need to work together.'' Reggae Passover was approved Thursday for a grant by Steven Spielberg's Righteous Persons Foundation. The foundation recognizes and supports creativity in Jewish culture and the interaction between cultural and religious groups. ``We are all one people created by God. We are all people who came out of Africa. Our similarities are greater than our differences,'' Eder said. ``We'll be celebrating together on April 1.'' Reggae Passover will be presented at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Temple Beth Hillel, 12326 Riverside Drive, Valley Village. Seating is free, but on a first-come basis. Call (818) 763-9148. CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1) CalArts composer Alan Eder uses the common theme of liberation to blend Jewish, West African and Caribbean traditions into spiritual music. Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News (2 -- 3) La Rue Marshall, choir director at Parks Chapel AME Church in San Fernando, and cantor Alan Weiner of Temple Beth Hillel in Valley Village will sing at Sunday's Reggae Passover. Eric Grigorian/Special to the Daily News |
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