Last night's community-wide celebration at Conservative Congregation Shir Chadash was an emotional program for several reasons. The evening began before sunset as the fallen members of the Israel Defense Force and others who fought for the independence of the State of Israel were commemorated in a series of prayers led by several rabbis representing the entire spectrum of Jewish religious thought. Prominent were host Rabbi Ted Lichtenfeld and Rabbi Andrew Busch of Touro Synagogue, both of whom arrived just prior to Hurricane Katrina and both of whom have announced plans to relocate to other communities before the third anniversary of the storm. Rabbi Robert Loewy of Gates of Prayer and Rabbi Uri Topolosky of Congregation Beth Israel rounded out the local contingent of rabbis. Gates of Prayer Cantorial Soloist Victoria May and Cantor Joel Colman of Temple Sinai led the audience in several Hebrew prayers and songs with accompaniment on May's guitar. Guest Rabbi Uri Barnea, a native of Israel and a musical conductor and composer now the spiritual leader of Temple B'nai Israel in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, gave a talk on the history of Israeli music with demonstrations on violin and recorder. He also provided taped highlights of several well-known Israeli performers. The event coincided with the start of Yom Ha'Azmut, Israel Independence Day, as observed on the Hebrew calendar. The date on the English calendar is May 14, which was the date when Israel declared its independence in 1948, three score years ago.
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