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December 3, 2004/Kislev 20 5765, Vol. 57, No. 14
Jammies and Judaism
JENNIFER GOLDBERG
Staff Writer
Clad in warm pajamas and fuzzy slippers, the family settles in with an evening snack and some fun Jewish music.
A quiet evening at home? Not even close.
When singer Judy Caplan Ginsburgh comes to the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center on Saturday, Dec. 11, her "Havdalah Pajama" concert will help local families celebrate the Chanukah season with sufganyot (donuts), crafts and songs.
The concert is geared for children ages 10 and under, and their families, Ginsburgh says. It "incorporates some music for Havdalah ... general good music for families that makes them feel proud about being Jewish, and of course some Chanukah music." The program will also include a short Havdalah service.
For more than 20 years, Ginsburgh has used her musical talent to prime young children for a lifetime of Judaism. She is a professional singer with a degree in vocal performance, and began her career as a children's entertainer in 1981.
Back then, Ginsburgh lived in the Washington, D.C., area, and spent her lunch hour volunteering at a Jewish preschool by singing with the children.
"So many of the parents were intermarried," she recalls, and the non-Jewish mothers "were not familiar with a lot of the songs I was doing with the kids, which were basically traditional songs that I had learned growing up.
"They asked if I would make a tape for them to have so they could learn the songs and reinforce them at home for the children, so I did that, and it sold like hotcakes."
The word got out on Ginsburgh, and she soon became a full-time performer and recording artist. Today, she has about a dozen recordings, including Jewish and secular music for children and adults. Her newest album, "My Jewish World," comprises 26 children's songs about Judaism, and includes a curriculum book for teachers.
When Ginsburgh isn't traveling around the country to do shows, she is a cantorial soloist at several congregations in Louisiana, where she now resides, and continues to record a variety of music.
She hopes her music for children "introduces a lot of them to Jewish traditions and Hebrew. I've had a lot of parents write me or tell me that their child learned some Hebrew by listening to my tapes or CDs."
The JCC program will begin at 6:15 p.m., when the children will make Chanukah art projects. The concert begins at 7 p.m. While the concert is most appropriate for young children, it can be enjoyed by nearly everyone, says Ginsburgh.
"Lots of times, grandparents come, and they have just as much fun as the little kids. And I've had older children come who have younger siblings, and they have fun watching them and helping them and singing with them," she says.
Complete family participation is important as well. "We don't like for parents to send the kids up front and sit in the back," Ginsburgh adds. "We really like for families sit together. ... I hope that by doing these live concerts we bring families together for memorable Jewish moments."
Details
- What: Judy Caplan Ginsburgh concert
- When: 6:15 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11
- Where: Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale
- Cost: $10 members, $13 nonmembers; $5 more at the door
- Call: 480-483-7121, ext. 1276
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