Note: The "children's summer camp" noted in the following press release is Camp Ramah in Nyack. While the documentary debuted on October 8, 2000, watch for it coming up again on TV.

NEW YORK, NY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2000 -- According to the Zohar, the classical text of medieval mysticism, "There are halls in heaven that open only to the voice of song." So too, for Jews throughout the ages, has music been a gateway to God, the vehicle through which they express their faith. 

Beginning Sunday, October 8, the Jewish Theological Seminary will broadcast its fifteenth annual liturgical program on ABC Television’s network-affiliated stations, an inspiring look at the impact of sacred music upon the worshiper. ...To God’s Ear: Music and Song of the Jewish Liturgy presents a rich tapestry of traditional liturgical prayer and contemporary lyrical renditions interwoven with commentary by scholars in cantorial music who describe the complex variations of melodies contained within the worship service. Colorful scenes, such as that of a congregational choir practice and of an early morning service at a children’s summer camp, offer a window into the prayer experience from diverse points of view. 

Among the many highlights of this moving hour is a cantorial coaching session led by the dean of JTS’s H. L. Miller Cantorial School, Hazzan Henry Rosenblum; a heart-wrenching tale of a rabbi who, after the Holocaust, was able to identify Jewish youngsters and rescue them from the orphanage where they had been hidden by singing them the Shema; and one businessman’s personal story of his return to synagogue after many years and how he rediscovered his connection to Judaism through music. 

Contact: 
Marianna Mott Newirth, Assistant Director of Media Relations
(212) 678-8020; manewirth@jtsa.edu