FROM THE RABBI & PRESIDENT

What a thrill it is to recognize and thank this year's Gala Honorees,

Adina Avery-Grossman, Cantor Ronit Wolff Hanan,

and Tzipporei Shalom!
 
It's hard for us to imagine our congregation without Adina and Ronit -

and thankfully, we don't have to. We are fortunate to have hundreds of volunteers in our community, but far fewer personally invest in the ways that they have, maintaining full responsibility for Tzipporei Shalom for 20 years.
 
The idea to establish a children's choir at Beth Sholom may have led to the launch of Tzipporei Shalom, but over the years, for the hundreds of children who have participated and for the hundreds more who have enjoyed listening to these children, it is clear that Tzipporei Shalom is far more

than just a group of singers.
 
 

For the more musical kids, Tzipporei Shalom is a training ground, teaching skills and techniques. For the performers, Tzipporei Shalom offers a venue

to shine. For the participants who are less musical or performance-oriented,

but more about socializing with peers, Tzipporei Shalom provides a safe

and low-key space where they can learn and laugh with friends.

 

And let's not forget the kids who are ready to go before the shul even opens on Shabbat morning - Tzipporei Shalom is there for them, too, helping them understand that there are lots of ways to connect to their own Jewish identities through music, through friendships, through substantive

and meaningful texts and lyrics, and through laughter -

there's plenty of that in Tzipporei Shalom, as well.

 

Regardless of what brings the children to Tzipporei Shalom every week, those of us who watch them sing, and who wait for our chance to sing along with them, can feel their pride and joy. And we reflect our own pride

and joy back to them.
 

 

Our congregation is truly blessed; the sanctuary is regularly filled with

inspired singing and lively tunes that enhance our prayer experiences.

Look no farther than our sanctuary wall to understand how central

music is to our community (Psalms 100:2):
 
עבדו את ה' בשמחה באו לפניו ברננה
Worship God in gladness; come into God's presence with song. 

 
We think it's safe to say that no one generates more gladness

or more pure joy through song in our community than Tzipporei Shalom.
 
Adina and Ronit, we are abundantly grateful to you for cultivating,

nurturing, teaching, guiding, and inspiring our kids, and all of the others

who have participated in Tzipporei Shalom. With the children,

you have, indeed, brought us #20YearsOfShirJoy,

and we can't wait for 20 more!

Joel Pitkowsky, Rabbi, and Devorah Silverman, President

TZIPPOREI SHALOM - A HISTORY
It all started 20 years ago when a congregant approached Ronit Hanan -

singer, cantor's daughter and parent of two young children - and asked if

she would start a children's choir  to keep the kids busy while their parents

were in services, and to provide them with a fun, musical experience to boot.

 

Ronit thought, "YES!" and immediately recruited her friend,

Adina Avery-Grossman (also a parent of small children, singer,

and cantor's daughter) to co-pilot this project.

The rest is history.
They started with a name (Tzipporei Shalom, literally Birds of Peace)

and recruited their own four children to join the first group

of about eight. Their goal was simple, and remains the same

20 years later: Make this choir so great that kids will beg their parents

to get to shul on time. It worked! 

Now upwards of 30-strong every year, boys and girls in first through

sixth grades meet every Saturday morning for half an hour. They work a cappella (without instrumental accompaniment), singing in Hebrew, English, Yiddish, Ladino, and even in Zulu and Luganda.

 

They sing old tunes and new ones. They sing in unison, in rounds

and in multiple harmonies. They learn how to stand, breathe, listen

and to blend with others. They master musical terms like crescendo and diminuendo, staccato and legato, forte and piano. They can define a shadow

vowel. They can identify an upbeat and a downbeat. They know to wait

for a count and a pitch before starting to sing and to watch their conductors. They memorize everything.

 

They grasp the value of teamwork. And through the music, they internalize our Jewish texts, learn about Israel and its musical history, and are exposed to the languages and cultures of Jews around the world.

 

There have been so many highlights! 

 

Tzipporei Shalom singers appeared with Neil Sedaka on the stage

of Carnegie Hall and sang with the late, great Debbie Friedman.

They have performed at the annual Israel Folk Dance Festival

in New York, at the community-wide Bergen County Junior Choir Festival,

at Teaneck's Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) commemoration, and with Zamir Noded. They have performed with the American-Jewish rock band, Safam, and recorded with renowned cantor

Netanel Hershtik.

 

They enhance b'nai mitzvah and other special occasions at the synagogue,

and they especially enjoy performing with TAVIM,

the shul's adult a cappella group.

 

 

We calculate that over the years, there have been nearly 180 members of Tzipporei Shalom, now singing all over the US and Israel.

 

Ronit and Adina treat the singers like real professionals. And it shows.

They are loved by everyone -- not just by their parents --

and the program is rated #1 year in and year out in our shul survey.

 

The real reason? They bring to life the verse emblazoned across the front of

our sanctuary: "Ivdu et HaShem b'simcha, bo'u l'fanav birnana" -

Serve God with joy, come before God with song.

Mazal tov to our amazing leader, Ronit, the best conductor in HaZamir!

 Because of you, we are better singers, we are always prepared,

and we look forward to our rehearsals each week.
 
Many thanks to Congregation Beth Sholom for providing us

with our weekly rehearsal space for so many years. 
 
And finally, congratulations to Tzipporei Shalom

(future HaZaBergen singers!) on 20 years of great music.
 
HaZamir Bergen County Singers 2018-19
Ayelet Abenaim, Chantal Efrat, Aderet Fishbane, Ula Goldstein, Lily Greenberg, Eitan Hiller, Theo Hyman-Bockman, Lucrecia Kleinmann, Penina Krischer, Jenny Kuriloff, Eliana Loffman, Ariella Mann, Ben Mitnick, Na'ama Papier, Jonah Pitkowsky, Dahlia Ramirez, Margy Ramirez, Yair Wall, Ariel Wilk, and our favorite pianist, Janet Montroy