Music with Monks (and rabbis)

Since February, I've been attending ulpan (intensive Hebrew class) at the Milah Institute here in Jerusalem. It's definitely been good for my Hebrew, and it's also been a good chance to meet a diverse spectrum of the city's residents. Most people in the class are here to do some religious learning; the majority of them are Christian, though my class also has a number of Muslim and Jewish representatives. It makes class discussions very interesting.

Tonight, Geoff and I went to a "sing-along for peace" sponsored by the Milah Institute. It took place at a small and beautiful chapel adjoining the Italian Synagogue. The song-leaders were a rabbi with a guitar and a monk on guitar and violin (not at the same time), and the students gathered there had a great time singing along in Hebrew. One of the more inspiring pieces was led by the monk, who set the Hebrew words of Psalm 117 to a melody which I recognized from the Taizé services I used to attend at Carleton. I was also impressed with a Hebrew translation that we sang of "Blowin' in the Wind." There were a few English-language songs thrown in for fun (or, possibly, for the benefit of the beginning Hebrew students), and also a few impromptu performances by audience members - one woman sang a 13th-century Christian poem in Latin, and our dear friend Jen rocked the house with a fantastic rendition of a Bill Withers song.