NOTES FROM THE HAZZAN
With the approach of the minor holiday of Lag B’Omer, my article examines an activity inspired by that festival. I recently came across a photo of a large gathering of hassidim dancing on Lag B’Omer in Meron, Israel, in honor of the great sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yo hai. As a nod to that celebration, I’d like to explore the world of Jewish dance. It’s really not so far afield for a cantor to write about dance, because it is invariably accompanied by vocal and/or instrumental music. In biblical times music and dance were often combined: “And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and danced.” Although there are many Hebrew terms for dance, rikkud is the most often used. Throughout Jewish history, dancing, accompanied by music, has been practiced at weddings, on Purim and Sim hat Torah, and at hassidic gatherings. Hassidim, who attribute great importance to dance, do not permit dancing between men and women (based upon the text in Proverbs, “Hand to hand shall not go unpunished.”).
Some of their popular dances are the hopke, the broigeztanz, the sher, and the karahod. The hopke is a lively dance in duple or quadruple time that includes leaping, jumping or skipping. Indeed, Jewish dances of ancient and medieval times have been characterized as consisting of gesticulations, violent leaps and bounds, and hopping in a circle. The broigeztanz (lit. angry dance) was an improvised dance in duple meter usually performed by me hutanim (in-laws) at a wedding. Since there was hardly a wedding at which an argument did not arise, this dance became quite popular in Eastern Europe. Its true objective was to “dance and forgive.” It is usually played first at moderate speed as the people dance away from each other, and then the melody is repeated in a livelier tempo after they forgive and embrace. The sher (scissors dance) is a Russian dance in moderate duple meter, which was a favorite of the tailors’ guild. The dance describes a pair of shears and the threading of a needle. The karahod is another circle dance in lively duple time in which the dancers grasp hands, hook arms, or place their hands on each other’s shoulders. Rebbe Tzvi Elimelekh Shapiro of Dynow, a hassidic master, once said that “the reason that hassidim dance in a circle is that in a circle all are equal, with no upper or lower classes.”
The most popular Jewish dance today is the hora. An Israeli folk dance originating in the Balkans and taking root in the early 1900’s, the hora is an easy circle dance that invites public participation. With its dynamic rhythm it expresses the temperament of the Israeli pioneers and incorporates the spirit of hassidism to such a degree that it has become a symbol of the country. The hora is but one example of the folk-dancing renaissance that began in the United States and Palestine in the 1920’s; and this tradition of creative modern dance continues to flourish throughout the world. Israeli composers have been inspired by the traditional Near Eastern dance and have written scores for ballet and dance scenes. The Israel National Ballet, the Yemenite Inbal Dance Theater, and the Institute for the Art of Dance in Haifa continue to thrive in modern Israel.
Enjoy a “Leapin’ Lag B’Omer!”
H azzan Moshe Bear
SAVE-THE-DATE FOR OUR ANNUAL CANTORS CONCERT:
SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING, MAY 20
“Veinte de mayo b’yom yerushalayim”
A JUDEO-LATINO JERUSALEM DAY FESTIVAL
OF SONG AND DANCE
with
Argentinian Cantor Gaston Bogomolni
Accompanied by a Hot Latin Band,
Surprise Musical Features,
And the sensuous steps of dance mistress
Norma Granofsky
Look for all the thrilling details in the coming weeks.