Less than 24 hours after the conclusion of Shavuot, the holiday commemorating the giving of the Torah, Hazzan Emanuel C. Perlman will offer the gift of a special night of spirituality and song in an outdoor setting.
Hazzan Perlman, cantor of Chizuk Amuno Congregation for the past two decades, will lead a lively instrumental Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service on Friday, June 2, at 6:30 p.m. in the Pikesville synagogue’s Ben and Esther Rosenbloom Amphitheater.
Joining him will be Todd Simon, a Peabody-trained pianist/organist/saxophonist for the U.S. Naval Academy Band from 2009-14; local guitarist Michael Raitzyk; and trumpeter/flautist Henry Kornblatt.
The instrumental part of the service will conclude before Shabbat candle-lighting time to allow the strictly observant members of the community an occasion to participate fully in this type of service. The liturgy of the service will be completely traditional, but the experience will fuse elements of the past and future in a specialized order for the evening.
Selections at the service will range from niggunim, or wordless melodies from the Chasidic tradition, to favorite congregational participatory prayers.
Besides being an evening of worship, song and Shabbat Oneg, the service promises to reach out to current and former congregants. The event is free and open to the community. Usual Shabbat services will also be held that night in Chizuk Amuno’s Hoffberger Chapel.
“The Kabbalat Service will uplift the worshipers’ senses through song, spirit and soulful expressions,” said Hazzan Perlman, who plans to punctuate the service with inspiring explanations, captivating melodies and stories of his recent spiritual encounters from around the world.
Besides serving as Chizuk Amuno’s cantor, Hazzan Perlman is the founder and president of the new nonprofit organization Destination Peace (destinationpeace.org), which unites people of different backgrounds and faiths through music. He has performed at myriad venues and events throughout the country and world. Hazzan Perlman has also released several CDs, including the recent “Destination Peace.”
At Shabbat services on June 24 at Chizuk Amuno, he will discuss his recent month-long pilgrimage to India in a special sermon. During the trip, he was “anointed” a Brahmin by a Hindu high priest.
Next month, Hazzan Perlman will join the Dalai Lama, the world-renown Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, on four separate occasions, three on the West Coast and one in the Northeast.
Chizuk Amuno is located at 8100 Stevenson Rd. For information about the Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, visit chizukamuno.org or call 410-486-6400.
Photos of Hazzan Emanuel C. Perlman by Melissa Halpern