Friday, January 23, 2009

Rizhin Not Carlebach

MUSICAL NOTE by Cantor Sherwood Goffin
The Rizhiner Shir L’Atid Lavo

This Shabbat, during MeVorchim HaChodesh (the Blessing of the New Month) I will utilize the melody we have been singing every month for the past seven years. This is the Shir L’Atid Lavo, which is actually an old nigun of the Rizhiner Chassidim. It was always sung by Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, z”l, after Mizmor L’Dovid at Seudah Shlishit, and often incorrectly attributed to him.

This nigun is now sung every Shabbat at many yeshivot in Israel; some on Friday evening, some Shabbat afternoon. The name implies a hope “for the future to come.” I therefore decided that this melody would be most appropriate for this prayer, in which we ask G-d to bless the future month and year to come. Please join me as we sing, and in it may we find tomorrow’s blessing for us and all our loved ones here and especially in Eretz Yisrael, a Bracha of Shalom that seems so elusive today.

Daven well and sing along!

© 2009 Cantor Sherwood Goffin and Lincoln Square Synagogue

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"Rizhin Not Carlebach"

Why is the honorable Chazan transcribing that name as 'Rizhin', rather than Ruzhin? Is he adopting the practice of some Hassidim to change oo sounds to ee? I don't think he does that when he leads the services at LSS, so why here?