Hazzanut Kristallnacht Commemoration Shabbat Cantor Heller, November 7, 2026November 8, 2026 Each year, our Shabbat service at Belsize Square Synagogue marks Kristallnacht. This year, 88 years after the November pogrom of 1938, we remember it as the night that ended any illusion of safety for German Jewry, and as the beginning of the story of this congregation, founded by those who… Continue Reading
Hazzanut Lewandowski and the Case for Communal Singing Cantor Heller, August 4, 2026 In the nineteenth century, synagogues across Europe faced a contentious question: should an organ be part of the liturgy? For many, the answer was no. The organ seemed to belong to the Christian church, not to Jewish worship. It was seen as a symbol of assimilation, a departure from tradition…. Continue Reading
Hazzanut Come and Sing: Lewandowski’s Psalm 92 Cantor Heller, July 31, 2026 Last week I wrote about one of our Lewandowski masterpieces, Tavo Lefanecha, and the High Holidays approaching. Today I want to invite you to something simpler and equally beautiful: our Friday night services, where another jewel from Lewandowski’s pen is part of it. Psalm 92 is part of Kabbalat Shabbat, the… Continue Reading
Cantorial Tavo Lefanecha: A Masterpiece Through the High Holidays Cantor Heller, 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… Continue Reading
Hazzanut 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… Continue Reading
Music Celebrations at Belsize Square Synagogue Cantor Heller, November 10, 2025November 10, 2025 Belsize Square Synagogue — Where Every Occasion Becomes a Memory. There is something truly special about marking life’s most meaningful moments at Belsize Square Synagogue. Whether standing beneath the Chuppah on a wedding day or coming of age at a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, our sanctuary provides a sacred and… Continue Reading
Hazzanut Summer Weddings and the Sacred Harmony of Hans Bloemendal’s Sheva Brachot Cantor Heller, June 19, 2025July 21, 2025 There’s something uniquely magical about summer weddings. The golden light, the scent of blooming flowers, and the warmth of long days create a perfect backdrop for love and celebration. In Jewish tradition, this joy is elevated by the Sheva Brachot—the Seven Blessings—recited under the chuppah and during the week of festivities… Continue Reading
Hazzanut At the 16th European Cantor’s Convention Cantor Heller, December 6, 2024February 13, 2025 In Budapest, colleagues and friends, Hazzanim (prayer leaders) and music scholars, to share our knowledge aimed at enhancing community engagement through prayer. An example of our rehearsal can be heard here before Shabbat in the beautifully designed Rumbach Synagogue, known for its impressive architecture and intricate stucco walls. Also my… Continue Reading
Hazzanut At St. Pölten Synagogue Cantor Heller, April 18, 2024April 22, 2024 By invitation of the Institute of History of Jews of Austria. I had the privilege of participating in the re-inauguration ceremony of what was once my father’s parents and family’s Synagogue in St. Pölten, Austria, which suffered from the 9th of Nov 1938 pogrom and went through several renovations. This… Continue Reading
Hazzanut The High Holy days music at Belsize Square Synagogue Cantor Heller, September 19, 2023September 19, 2023 The capability to live stream, and archive, our services, allows me the luxury of being able to review, and edit, our important musical legacy. I’d like to share one such development. It’s a new composition by Dr Benjamin Wolf, our synagogue’s Music Director, Choir Master and Composer that was commissioned… Continue Reading