Re-Birthing the Voice

Beloved creatures!

If you observed the High Holidays, I hope they were meaningful and inspiring for what lies ahead. As we approach November, a time of elections and my birth season, I’m holding space for a deep personal rebirth (we Scorpios do this for a living) and envisioning collective renewal for our nation.

One of the most transformative practices of my life has been learning to open my voice with complete authenticity, through musical and sonic exploration. This practice has empowered me to express myself fully in all of my relationships. Though I’m told I had this capacity from birth, like many of us, life’s traumas or our caregiver’s unconscious unmet needs sometimes cause us to contract in order to survive or maintain connection. We've all been there, repeating patterns that prevent us from living fully.

I’ll pass on that. My driving force is staying deeply connected to myself— and though it can be terrifying, I meet fear and I collect $200.

For those who observe Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (or “At-One-Ment”), it’s a time for reflection—an opportunity to acknowledge how we might have acted differently and how we can actively shift these patterns. It’s also a time to forgive ourselves for the ways we have made commitments we could not keep from a state of duress, mourn the pain of the world and celebrate the good that exists right now.

At Torah of Awakening, where I lead musically and otherwise, we embodied the shofar, a ram's horn that is played by blowing in it during the Jewish New year, Rosh Hashanah - becoming the human sound of wailing—both for ourselves and for the voices of pain that cannot be heard. This practice, led by the lovely Gabbai and leader Elizheva Hurvich (soon to be Rabbi!), was deeply moving. Additionally, thanks to the wisdom of psychotherapist and spiritual leader Estelle Frankel, we also took time to honor what we’ve done well. As Michael Bader once wrote (slightly adapted), “If we deny our happiness, resist satisfaction, we lessen the value of others’ deprivation. We must risk delight. We can do without pleasure, but not without delight… to make injustice the sole focus of our attention is to praise the darkness.”

If I drop myself, how can I support you?

My mission is to explore self-regulation, foster joyful connections, and redefine “prayer” as an active practice. In this journey, I discovered that the Hebrew word “to pray” is lehitpalel, a reflexive verb, indicating that it is something we do to ourselves. The root, palal, means "to judge," suggesting that prayer is more about self-evaluation than a request to an external deity.

This realization was significant for me. As a cantorial soloist, I sing and speak both traditional and progressive language, yet I don’t view my expressions as calls to an ethereal being that listens and responds. Rather, I see my connection as a dialogue with life itself—our shared evolution. The answers to my prayers arise from my body, guided by my active self-evaluation. In this process, I open myself to receive the insights that life presents.

If the changes I embody within ripple out to others, perhaps there is a positive impact.

How can we embody these concepts?

1. Release the sounds within your body—let your voice express itself.

2. Build a support system to hold you as you take courageous steps or engage in difficult conversations.

3. Embrace death as a friend, because nothing new can be born in a stagnant space.

WANT TO DO THIS IN COMMUNITY?

HERE are some upcoming events that provide spaces to practice these concepts and free the truth of our hearts in community. Feel free to share them with friends and family—two are online, meaning anyone, anywhere can join. These are bipartisan spaces where we come to express authentically, regardless of any musical experience.

Pre-registration is required for all events – virtual events will be on zoom.