My second piece of music that I would like to introduce to you is by Juval Porat who pursued his cantorial studies at then newly established institute of Cantorial Arts in Berin. In 2009 he concluded his studies in the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem and in June of that year was invested as the first Reform Cantor to be trained in Germany since WWII.
Our band and I will premier his beautiful composition Zochreinu during our Rosh Hashanah and later Yom Kippur contemporary services.
Zochreinu is inserted in the beginning of every single Amidah from the beginning of Rosh Hashanah through the end of Yom Kippur. Our plea to God to remember us and write us in the Book of Life is one of the most repeated paragraphs in the High Holyday liturgy! Juval uses this idea in his composition and repeats the words “remember us” many times, each time with added urgency and intensity!
The English part of the composition is in strike contrast to the mellow niggun (a melody without the words) that begins the piece. This contrast makes this prayer come alive and delivers the message of hope that God will remember us that we may live!
