Amitai Gross and Rabbi Eisen led a teen-focused service at Temple Israel on April 18th.
Amitai sent this message to the teens before the event:
I wanted to tell you a little bit more about myself and see what you might be interested in doing during that time we have together.
I'm a student at Bennington College in Vermont studying music (composition with a strong focus on middle-eastern styles) and international relations (with a focus on the middle-eastern peace process). I've been co-leading services at my own synagogue and others since shortly after my Bar-Mitzvah. I spent two years before my Bar-Mitzvah (and all the years since) learning Chassidic stories and niggunim (tunes). I'm a musician, politically active, grounded pretty strongly in Judaism but I explore all sorts of other religions. I would love to talk to you guys about how spirituality is relevant to young people, what place it has in our lives, what role music plays in religion and whatever else you want to talk about.
I'd also love to jam with you if you want. I could teach you guys some middle-eastern musical techniques.
Anyone is welcome to send me back an email and let me know what you want from our time together after the service. Maybe you want to talk about something, maybe you want to play some music; just let me know.
