There is a little bit of jazz musical
history right in Cincinnati at Rockdale Temple.
When jazz composer and
performer Dave Brubeck died late last year, Rockdale member Steven Goldstein
reached out to Rabbi Coran with the story of the 1969 dedication of Rockdale Temple's Amberley Village
synagogue.
The Union of American Hebrew Congregations—now the Union for
Reform Judaism—commissioned Brubeck to create a composition that would appeal
for brotherhood between the African American and Jewish communities.
Rockdale moved into the Amberley Village synagogue in October 1969—just 18
months after Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis. From
that inspiration for renewed brotherhood, Gates of Justice was created.
The University of Cincinnati College
Conservatory of Music joined in the commissioning and Cincinnati Pops icon
Erich Kunzel conducted the world premiere at Rockdale's new Amberley Village
synagogue.
In a 2004 article, Janelle Gelfand of the Cincinnati
Enquirer
quoted Brubeck saying, "The idea was to bring these two cultures together,
to show similarities rather than their differences."
The text of Gates
of Justice combines some lyrics written by Brubeck's wife Iola with
quotations from speeches delivered by Dr. King, Hebrew liturgy and the Jewish
sage Hillel.
In 2003, the Milken Archive of Jewish
Music recorded an interview with Iola and
Dave Brubeck. Brubeck was known for his unconditional support of social
justice.
In the 2003 oral history, he tells Eugenia Zukerman that his
support of social justice grew from a lifetime including an early childhood
experience where his father introduced the young Dave Brubeck to an African
American man who had been branded—much like a horse or cow.
Brubeck also
talked with Zuckerman about the difficulties he encountered performing
with a racially integrated band.
Gates
of Justice
was Brubeck's second large scale composition based upon sacred texts.
Although Brubeck was not Jewish, he observed what some call a natural bond
between American Jews and leaders of the Civil Rights movement in the early
1960's.
After Dr. King's assassination, Brubeck felt those
bonds beginning to fray and welcomed the invitation to
use his musical talents to reinforce the common threads.
In the original
composition, Brubeck calls for the tenor vocalist to be a Jewish cantor and the
baritone vocalist to be an African American familiar with the "sonorities and
style of spirituals and blues," according to Neil Levin writing for the Miliken
archive.
Rockdale
Temple invites you to join in a commemorative Shabbat experience on Friday,
January 18th.
Rock
Shabbat services will be held at 6:15pm and a congregational dinner at 7:15pm.
At 8:15 pm, members of the community will join in a meaningful opportunity to
listen to a selection from Dave Brubeck "Gates of Justice" as part of Rockdale
Temple's Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration.
Rabbi Coran will lead a
discussion about the work in its historic and present-day context. Rockdale
Temple welcomes the public to services, dinner and the discussion. Feel
free to join in all or any part of the evening. Please RSVP to attend at
891-9900.
Rockdale
Temple will also be participating in the Interfaith Prayer Service and Commemorative Civil Rights March begins
sponsored by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Coalition on Martin Luther King Day,
Monday, January 20th.
Rabbi
Sigma Faye Coran, senior Rabbi at Rockdale, says the Congregation is looking to
include a performance of Gates of Justice into events marking next
year's 190th anniversary of Rockdale.
Rockdale Temple,
formally known as Kehal Kodesh Bene Israel, held its first services in January
1824 making it the oldest Jewish congregation west of the Allegheny Mountains.
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