Learn to Leyn

This post is obviously meant specifically for my readers on the Gold Coast!

Was ist das ‘leynen’?  What does it mean to ‘leyn’?  It means to publicly read the various texts of the Tanach with a chant, as I have been modelling on the Torah and Haftarah readings.  Doing so gives me a great amount of satisfaction and is a spiritual uplift.  And I receive positive comments all the time from congregants who feel similarly uplifted on hearing the texts chanted in this manner, according the texts due respect to present them so beautifully.  Additionally, I find preparing the weekly readings for this style presentation, and doing it, is a fun and interesting challenge that adds welcome structure to my week.

And now I’d like to share the fun.  If you’re interested in an outlet for your musical and Hebrew reading talents, and perhaps for a way to make a personal contribution to our beautiful services at Temple Shalom, I’d like to teach you to leyn.  When I say ‘musical talents’ I don’t mean that you need to be able to read musical notation or have any training in music; you simply need a reasonable ability to sing.  And when I say ‘Hebrew reading talents’ I don’t mean that you need to be able to read fluently.  Just have a basic comfort with reading Hebrew letters, vowels and words.  Actually, I found that my own learning to leyn improved my Hebrew reading significantly.

I won’t say when I’ll schedule the class meetings; first let’s see who’s interested and when you’re available.  Let me know by any means (talk after services, telephone, e-mail, smoke signal…) that you’re interested and we’ll work out the details.  Gut leynen, und a gut jahr!