|
|
January 22, 1999/5 Shevat 5759, Vol. 51, No. 17
Folk singer adds voice to rabbi's installation
TAMI BICKLEY
Staff Writer
Being Jewish has been an important aspect of Julie Silver's life since she was a child in Newton, Mass., attending a progressive synagogue and going to Jewish camps, where she learned songs about her culture that would change her life.
Also very important to her for a long time has been music; she started playing the guitar and seriously singing at the age of 14.
She managed to fuse and pursue her two great loves, music and Judaism, by becoming a professional Jewish folk singer, who today is a rising star in contemporary Jewish music.
From her hometown of Santa Monica, Calif., where she serves as cantorial soloist for Sha'arei Am synagogue, to Hong Kong, Silver has traveled and performed for congregations and Jewish community centers around the world. She also has released four albums since 1992, titled "Together," "From Strength to Strength," "Walk With Me" and "Beyond Tomorrow."
"What I do can be summed up in one word - participation," Silver explained. "There are different ways of (practicing) Judaism, of praying, of being in a sanctuary. One of the ways that I like to practice Judaism, and hopefully teach and lead and be a part of it, is to encourage participation by being sensitive to the times in which we live, to the way people want to worship and to what people want to hear."
Silver not only performs - she also writes her own lyrics. She studies Hebrew texts and then adapts the words and meanings musically, as she did with songs such as "Sim Shalom" and "Chazak Chazak," which are on "Strength to Strength." Silver's repertoire includes everything from liturgical music to American Jewish ballads. She said she strives to write spiritual music that is uplifting, fun and easy-to-sing-along-with.
"When you see (Hebrew) text, there is a lot of white space around the black
letters," Silver said. "I try to fill in that white space. I also try to write songs about my own experience as a young, Jewish woman, and hope that it will resonate with all people."
Involving herself in the Jewish community also is a way of life for Silver, she said.
Silver has been hired to perform on Friday, Jan. 29, through Sunday, Jan. 31, at Temple Emanuel of Tempe, 5801 S. Rural Rd., to celebrate the installation of Rabbi Andrew Straus. Silver and Straus met at a camp in Northern California and have worked together in the past.
A concert is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 30, at 8 p.m. at Temple Emanuel, where Silver will be accompanied by the temple's adult and youth choirs. General admission to the concert is $15, with preferred seating at $20.
On Sunday, she will perform a free "For Kids Only" songfest at the temple. A special service and oneg (mixer) are planned for 7:45 p.m. on Friday at the temple.
"I am Jewish and I am a teacher," she said, explaining her desire to participate in such events. "In the pop music world, it's often about money. But with Jewish music, one of the greatest benefits is that you get to be a part of something that's bigger than business, and bigger than fame."
|
