On the morning of Saturday, January 27, the Jewish community and Broadway community came together to celebrate Shabbat with a free inclusive service that blends Jewish prayer, favorite show tunes, and more.
This joyful, healing event aimed to foster connections across communities and build a sense of togetherness during a challenging time for Jews worldwide as well as educate about the close ties between the Jewish and Broadway communities, both in history and today. Fittingly, in the Jewish calendar, that week was Shabbat Shirah, the Shabbat of Songs. That week’s Torah portion contained Shirat HaYam, or “The Song of the Sea,” a celebratory song sung by the Israelites after safely crossing the Red Sea. In many congregations, it is customary for the Shabbat Shirah service to be filled with song, and Shabbat on Broadway celebrated and amplified this special Shabbat.
Broadway theater makers who took part in the event included Shoshana Bean, Julie Benko, Tovah Feldshuh, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Adam Kantor, Danny Kornfeld, Caissie Levy, Camryn Manheim, Samantha Massell, Debra Messing, Zal Owen, Adam Pascal, Seth Rudetsky, Nathan Salstone, Broadway Inspirational Voices and more. Participating clergy included rabbis and cantors from Ansche Chesed, Central Synagogue, East End Temple, Or Olam, Park Avenue Synagogue, Rodeph Sholom, Romemu, Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, Sutton Place Synagogue, Temple Emanu-El, Temple Israel, Temple Shaaray Tefila and more.
