Jewish Community Chorus of Temple Sinai seeks singers

Love to sing? Shireinu, the Jewish Community Chorus of Temple Sinai, is seeking new members as it prepares for its 10th anniversary season.

Under the direction of artistic director Joel Gluck, the chorus explores and presents a wide variety of Jewish music from the Bible and liturgy, folklore, and modern Jewish life.  These sources and streams of the Jewish choral tradition illuminate our unique heritage and foster Jewish identity through music.

The chorus’s repertoire reflects the works of significant Jewish composers from the Renaissance through contemporary times, as well as modern interpretations of folk and liturgical melodies that reach back many centuries. No audition is required to join Shireinu.

“As a people, it is important that we preserve the great wealth of Jewish music,” Gluck says. “Current Jewish music has its roots going all the way back to the time of the Italian Renaissance.  Shireinu takes pride in helping to preserve this rich musical history. 

“Our goal is not only to entertain, but also educate.  It is imperative that we don’t lose this vast library that peeks into the history of our tradition.  Our repertoire spans over 400 years of music and we can’t let it die over time.  We must continue to keep it alive for generations to come – l’dor v’dor [from generation to generation].”

As a community chorus, Shireinu is open to singers of any affiliation or religious background.

Shireinu brings inspiration and enrichment to Temple Sinai’s religious services, holiday celebrations and special events. The chorus also reaches out to older adults in area assisted-living communities, with concerts featuring familiar Jewish folk music and sing-alongs.

In addition, Shireinu participates in joint concerts and observances in the wider Jewish and interfaith communities, such as the Cranston Clergy Association’s community-wide Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, and has participated in Martin Luther King Jr. observances in Cranston and Providence. 

In the coming months, the ensemble will highlight music of the Sephardic tradition, both secular and religious, and a 10th anniversary celebration is planned for later in the year.

The chorus rehearses at Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston, on most Sunday mornings during the school year, from 9:30 a.m. to noon.  The group will be joining Temple Sinai’s new cantor, Deborah Johnson, for the Selichot service, to be held this year on Sept. 24.

Interested? Come to a special open rehearsal on Sunday, Oct. 23, at 9:30 a.m. in the Temple Sinai sanctuary. Guests will find Shireinu a warm, friendly group. All you need to bring is your voice and your enthusiasm!

For more information, contact Catherine Walters at 401-419-7698 or margalit_rut@hotmail.com.