Rabbi's Week in Review Blog

The American Jazz Museum presented a wonderful concert this past week — jazz saxophonist Tia Fuller, who not only is a wonderful technical player but also gives a concert infused with deep emotional feel and meaningful content. It was an important message for both the just completed Black History Month and the present Women’s History Month. (Full disclosure: My daughter-in-law is the director of external affairs and communication for the museum.)

As we sat immersed in the music, everyone masked and social-distanced, I thought about how much I missed live music, and all kinds of artistic expression amid COVID-19. It has not been just the entertainment value but the realization of how important the arts are to cultural expression, to giving voice to those whose voices are stifled, and to providing a needed challenge to the status quo and our complacency.  

Music has always given expression to my deepest feelings and my loftiest aspirations. I am grateful for the gift of the arts. For any society worth its salt, the arts are not a luxury but are essential to addressing our deficiencies and lifting up our highest ideals.

The arts have certainly taken a hit with the pandemic. In the months to come, as we make our way out of the pandemic, let us support music and the arts. Let us recognize the vital role the arts play in giving voice to our Kol Ami community, and to all the diverse voices that need to be heard.