Rabbi Seidel will be leading an in depth examination of the theology and language of prayers through music and song, key term evolution and review, as well as through the introduction to classical Nusach and the modes of Cantorial Hazzanut.
Weekly on Wednesdays: August 20, August 27, September 3, September 10 2025
6:30 – 7:30 pm Pacific Standard Time
Join Rabbi Seidel in an exploration of High Holiday liturgy and music in its development from Medieval Sources right up to the present day, including the origins of Rosh haShana prayers in Talmudic and early Mahzorim, as well as the Kol Nidre and other classical piyyutim (poems) that were edited for a special Yamim Noraim prayerbook.
We will also examine selections of Modern Jewish thinkers of all genders on the Teshuvah process and how Jewish Renewal creatively transformed many of our classical rites and songs based on kabbalistic and Hasidic sensibilities …(such as Heschel, Soloveitchik, Reb Zalman, Louis Newman, Danya Rutenberg and others).
We will review some of the key themes of previous Aquarian Minyan High Holydays and how we might continue to rely on these important motifs and ideas in our own personal growth work.
We will examine the theology and language of the prayers in depth, review key terms and their evolution, learn many classical songs and recent musical compositions that highlight purification, centering, and teshuvah both individual and communal- Students in this class will also be introduced to classical Nusach and the modes of Cantorial Hazzanut.