In preparation for the week of Chanukah, the Queens community was invited to a concert by renowned cantor Menachem Mustacchi and the debut of the Tov Boys Choir.
“As the 5780 year began Congregation Tov in Kew Gardens Hills set out on a new mission to create our neighborhood’s chazzanim of tomorrow,” remarked the shul’s gabbai Pinchas Tavakoly. Syrian Cantor Menachem Mustacchi who has led as the chazzan in the Beth Shaul U’ Miryam synagogue in Brooklyn for many years was the optimal leader to guide the children on the proper path of chazzanut based on his close relationship with Tavakoly. His eclectic tunes mesmerize all who gather to bask in his sounds of traditional prayer rituals.
“It has been an absolute delight to train children from all walks of Jewish life and bring the tunes of Yerushalyim into our synagogues,” exclaimed Mustacchi. Roshel and Rigina Niktalov noted that their son Yonathan is “excited to sing at the Shabbat table” since joining the choir. Emanuel Shemanov explained how his son David, a student of Rabbi Ben Mordechai’s at Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion, is “now more active and responsible and it is welcoming to see him improve on our Sephardic tunes.” Yosef Aharon Fatakhov was eager to share his newfound poise stating, “I really feel good about myself.” Yosef Gavrielov hopes to be able to lead his congregation at the amud someday.
The youngsters were all enthusiastic about sharing their experiences and continuing to uncover their confidence as part of the choir. Nachman Zur-magen reiterated this sentiment adding, “I am now more capable of singing in a public forum.” Yehuda Levi is a talmid in Rabbi Praeger’s fifth grade class in Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion and now aspires to be a singer and chazzan, while Yosef Yitzchak Davidov in second grade at Yeshiva Tifereth Moshe is excited about what the future holds.
Eytan Gadayev who prays at Rabbi Leeor Dahan’s Fresh Meadows shul, Kehilat Avodat Hashem explained how singing acts to express oneself and let out your innermost feelings.
The Hativi brothers, Naftali and Betzalel, are students in at Yeshiva of Central Queens and are now more social in their surroundings with a new feeling in life.
Throughout the year the congregation attunes to the various musical modes as they are applied to the prayers based upon a celebration or more often the week’s Torah portion or current Yom Tov festival. The chazzan is most mindful of the various maqamat and the flavor each brings into the holy shul’s walls. Each maqam provokes a different mood, thought or emotion from the congregants. Although current Sephardic customs have roughly 10 main maqamat, there are well over 100 modes of tune, each named after either the Middle Eastern city or region they originate.
The pizmonim book holds an index determining the specific maqam of the week based upon the themes of the Torah readings. What sets a maqam apart from a traditional melody is the recitative nature of its delivery. The piece will have a rhythmical flow with free vocal style imitating the natural inflections and accents of typical dialogue speech. Each community has unique chants and these hymns are often input into the recitation of the prayers of kedusha, nishmat and kaddish. As is common practice, more modern pizmonim are occasionally inserted with Hebrew text written to fit an already existing Arabic composition.
Like weekly davening, some prayers unaffected by the weekly maqam include the Torah reading and zemirot that adhere to maqam Sigah, on Friday night maqam Nawa or Nahawend is choice, Shabbat afternoon follows maqam Rast and Motzei Shabbat service uses maqam Bayat; for a brit milah the congregation will hear maqam Saba.
Rabbi Menashe Sadka, the Mara D’atra of Beit Midrash Tov, kicked off the program by reminding the standing-room only audience of the importance of song in the Jewish culture. “A korban sacrifice was only allowed to be brought in the Beit Hamikdash in the presence of harmonious melodies.” The rav noted that we have no mesorah on the exact tunes used, but the fact remains that the mitzvah took place surrounded by music. The rav then quoted the Shulchan Aruch describing that the shir shel yom in our daily davening should be recited with a tune to show that our hearts are fully engrossed in its words. The rav explained that when our emotions are connected in song, we are ultimately happy. David Hamelech is the original author of all our songs and Chazal explain in the gemara in Brachot that King David would awake with the sound of music and this brought about ruach hakodesh, the holy spirit.
The rav continued that Chanukah is a time to praise Hashem with words and express our appreciation for His wonderous ways. The Greeks wanted the Jews to leave the Torah and its traditions, but we found a method to extract the light of Torah. The candles of the menorah symbolize light which corresponds to the light of Torah which is our children who are the next generation.
Abe Rosenthal, President of Tov, complimented these words adding that many new projects are on the horizon for the youth. “The shul is proud to raise its youth on a proper path allowing the children to learn the music of am yisrael sharing in the joy of the Torah with song.”
The TOV Boys Choir is a project of Daily Chesed. The initiative set out on a daunting task to unite the Jewish nation by donating a miniscule dollar a day to lift the lives of our less fortunate Jewish brethren. The good deed of providing a loan to another is much greater than typical tzedakah charity donations. The program grants advances for simchot, medical needs, yeshiva assistance, business growth and general living expenses. By helping those suffering one is blessing themselves to have continued happiness, children who follow the way of the Torah and financial success.
Eliyahu and Sara Khaimov were eager to take advantage of the opportunity allow music to lift the souls both physically and spiritually of their sons Eliezer, Yosef Chaim and Dovid who are all talmidim at Yeshiva Ohr Haiim. Elyon Tavakoly a fifth grader in Rabbi Lisker’s class at Yeshiva Tifereth Moshe said it best, “I am proud that singing is my special hobby and I foresee singing in my future.”
By Shabsie Saphirstein
TOV Boys Choir Instills Confidence In Our Youth
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