This week’s Torah portion, Eikev, teaches us that gratitude is meant to overflow into blessing and song—You shall eat, be satisfied, and bless” (Deut. 8:10). Jewish life teaches that when our bellies and hearts are full, we sing!

Yesterday KI was filled with song, and the heart of our community was full. Our preschoolers danced and sang with our Klezmer‑loving community to the joyful music of Shpilkis —and what a gift to welcome Zimyl Adler, one of my former students (and daughter of our dear KI friends Marc and Marlene Adler). She told everyone at the concert that it felt good to make music again in the very space where she became Bat Mitzvah. She was a bit of an inspiration to our youngest preschool students who were running around and loving klezmer music. They received a little seed of love for Jewish music and Klezmer Music.

Later at Shir KI rehearsal, our community singers lifted their voices as we began preparing for our Communal Selichot Service. To hear us all together—unified as the Old York Road Jewish community, already singing into 5786, was something glorious and inspiring!

We are blessed to have an amazing music team at KI which includes our new organist Lucas Brown, and Alyssa Davidson, our new Creative Director of KI Choral Arts. Learn more about Sacred Music at KI here!

I’m also loving the fresh energy and ears that Lucas Brown, our new organist, and Alyssa Davidson, our new Creative Director of KI Choral Arts, are bringing to this music. Watching brand‑new choir members experience the holiness and joy of our High Holy Day music, fills my heart! It’s not too late to join us as well! 

A Chasidic saying is: “If words are the pen of the heart, song is the pen of the soul.” music is what binds our souls in joy today and from generation to generation. From our preschool children spinning on the dance floor, to our former student returning home to share their music, to a community rehearsing and singing together- May our songs this season knit us together in joy and carry us into 5786 as one community.