Every once in a while, a magical musical moment will happen in my life that moves me tears and fills me with joy. My heart swells with love, and it’s kind of difficult to put into words how much those moments mean to me. Yesterday, I was blessed to be struck with music at its finest purest moment, and I’m excited to share it with all of you.
Once a month, at my work, we’ve been hosting a senior Shabbat lunch series. It’s always a really special afternoon, but yesterday, my daughter joined us, as she had a day off of school for parent/teacher conferences. It was unplanned that she be with us, but in retrospect, I am absolutely thrilled that she was there. Not only did she assist in getting the room set up, but her interaction with the guests is what really got to me.
My daughter was sitting at a different table from me and engaging in conversation and charming everyone around her. Suddenly, I heard her pretty little voice filling the room singing the beautiful classic tune “Donna Donna,” which she had learned in choir at school. Those first few notes were such a delicate beauty when another voice joined her. As it ends up, one of the participants was a retired cantor, and now two angelic voices were filing the room. My husband (who also works with me) grabbed his guitar and started strumming the chords to Donna Donna, and next thing we knew, the entire room was singing the song. It led into “Tumbaliaka,” and there were smiles and a combined unity that tugged at my heart. It was so impromptu and spontaneous and the most honest and beautiful moment. Knowing that my daughter was at the helm of it, too, just left me glowing with pride.
It never ceases to amaze me how music can bring people together – all generations, all walks of life, all cultures. Music = unity, and we should never forget its amazing power.
My song of the day is “Donna Donna.” I never realized that Joan Baez was known for singing this song. I learned it at summer camp when I was a kid and have only heard it over the years in Jewish music settings. Baez’s voice is hauntingly beautiful to this song though, and I love that she brought it to the mainstream. So, enjoy this gorgeous tune, and may the power of music reach your heart in the most meaningful way when you least expect it to.