Il Vaticano

So, I know that you are all wondering-what about the pope.  He didn’t make it to the concert, clearly.  How about the papal audience?  Most of our trip benefits were arranged through Cardinal Keeler, the Cardinal Archibishop Emeritus of...

To G-d’s Ears – Part II

I managed to pull myself together before we walked out and began to sing. Cantor Lauren Bandman, who is fluent in Italian, introduced our program beautifully and we began our concert with Shalom Aleichem of Sharlin. I noticed that the Monsignor of this basilica was...

To G-d’s Ears – Part I

What an unbelievably moving and inspiring evening tonight was! Since it is now after 1 in the morning, Rome time, and I need to be up early for our papal audience, I will divide the post into two parts. We rehearsed this morning in our hotel and then headed to the...

Light, Language, Learning … L’chaim!

LEND US THE WIT, O God, to speak the lean and simple word; give us the strength to speak the found word, the meant word; grant us the humility to speak the friendly word, the answering word. And make us sensitive, God, sensitive to the sound of the words which others...

Buona Sera da Roma

Good evening everyone! It has been a great, but exhausting first day in Rome. I departed the US as Shabbat came to a close. I said the blessing, “hamavdil bein kodesh l’chol,” the blessing that ends Shabbat and praises G-d for creating a distinction...