Summer weddings are back Cantor Heller, June 29, 2026June 29, 2026 At Belsize Square, the sanctuary carries its own atmosphere: the light through the windows, the familiar stillness of that space, and the sense of accumulated ceremony. Everything is in place for a chuppah. In Italy — Bari, this time — the grandeur is architectural and the air conditioning is, shall we say, optimistic, as it will be end of August. But the heat matters less than you might think. What you notice is the couple: the way they look at each other, how they’ve arrived at this moment, and what they’ve chosen to carry with them. For one of this summer’s ketubot, they asked for a Ladino song at the signing. An old melody, words worn smooth by centuries of use — it felt entirely right for the occasion. What an honour it is to be part of it!! Related Hazzanut
Hazzanut At West London Synagogue December 13, 2022January 16, 2023 As a guest of the Zemel Choir in support of World Jewish Relief in their aid to the crisis in Ukraine, I sung and prayed asking for peace and for the souls of the departed in this cruel war. Here is a little slide show of this beautiful Synagogue and… Read More
Cantorial Tavo Lefanecha: A Masterpiece Through the High Holidays July 27, 2026August 6, 2026 As we approach the High Holidays, there is one piece that has become woven into the fabric of Belsize Square’s liturgical year—Louis Lewandowski’s Tavo Lefanecha (May It Come Before You). It is a work that embodies much of what we preserve and continue in our tradition, and this seems a… Read More
Cantorial My music online May 19, 2021November 1, 2022 Being a Cantor under the pandemic For Our Congregation -June 2020 By Cantor Paul Heller When asked by the editors of Our Cong (our Synagogue magazine) to share my experiences in the last months of lockdown, this came to my mind. In the introduction to my own homepage I wrote… Read More