For singing out loud

A Jewish Standard reader agrees this week with my opinion:

For singing out loud

Tzvee Zahavy writes, "Bring back the chazzan" (Sept. 15). I agree. I think Dr. Zahavy has hit the nail on the head. What we need is more decorum in shul. While it is important for all Jewish men to know how to daven, we should leave the "real" davening to the professionals.

I, for one, would love to come to shul and have a professional chazzan and choir daven. However, let’s be honest — most people would not. When I informally ask my friends and neighbors if they would like to come to shul and have a real chazzan daven, most admit to preferring root canal. All just beg me to give them enough advance notice so they can arrange to daven elsewhere. The beauty and artistry of a good chazzan is lost on most of the under-50 set. I was brought up on chazzanut and can tell the difference between Koussevitzky, Rosenblatt, Serota, and my favorite, Pinchik. But most of my generation don’t know and don’t care.

Another problem: Pick any great chazzan; listen to him chant the prayers. What do you hear? Oh my, that’s right; he repeats words. Some time over the last 50 years this has become taboo. I don’t know when or why, but that taboo has cheapened the art. If repeating words was good enough for the masses in Vilna or Warsaw it surely is okay for us in Teaneck.

So, I agree with Dr. Zahavy. I have had enough of the Do-It-Yourself davening. I am tired of playing Name That Tune with kedusha and really fed up with all the "dye-dy’ing" (or is it "nye-ny’ing" or "yubabbu’ing"?) just to make a tune work. As we begin 5767 lets commit ourselves to returning to our roots, to bringing back the chazzan and davening as our ancestors did — with kavanah (respect).

Arnon D. Steinhart
Teaneck