The Wee Hours

Late night preview for Sunday night, Saha Gnawa

Dear friends, 

Before we received the Torah at Mount Sinai, our ancestors had three days to prepare. We’re in those three days prior to our Shavuot celebration, but the truth is this whole week was full, all-consuming preparation for our festival.  

Musically, we got the New Shul band together to rehearse our ritualistic opening. We prepped the School for Creative Judaism Choir on their song for peace. The AC Rose Band has been deep in rehearsals on Rob’s wonderful series of protest songs. The musicians and dancers are ready to be the Levites at our East Village temple. We are readying our hearts and minds for whatever revelation will appear Sunday night. 

We are sold out for the opening hours, but we still have seats for the 10pm on parts, and from 11pm to 5:26am, which will be some of the most exciting pieces of the evening, we expect there to be plenty of room. I know a Sunday night is a hard sell, and that music and learning til Monday morning sunrise is not necessarily the most enticing proposition. Except that in this case it is. Shavuot is the one night of the year that we break through the regular order of night and day to connect with that which is beyond time. 

So, I want to tell you a bit about some of the incredible offerings of the late-night/early morning hours to come at Rise Up.  

Around 1am we will hear Saha Gnawa, a hip local band that is known for getting people dancing to ritualistic nighttime music from Morocco. These are some of the city’s best North African musicians, playing along with some of the best downtown Jazz musicians. 

Around 2am the study and singing will kick off with a class by one of the richest contemporary voices of American Judaism, Shaul Magid. Rabbi, scholar, musician, teacher at Harvard University’s Divinity School, Shaul's teaching focuses on Kabbala, Hasidism and medieval and modern Jewish philosophy. His latest book, The Necessity of Exile, is an important piece of the puzzle of post 10/7 American Judaism. 

After Shaul we will be graced with a lesson from two long term collaborators on Restorative Justice, my far better half Erika Sasson and Sujatha Baliga. Sujatha is a MacArthur Fellow, one of the leading restorative justice practitioners in the country, a meditation instructor, and a self-described “writer whose nerdy sensibilities and love for everybody (no exceptions) and everything are owed to her Buddhist path.” I’ve been hearing about Erika and Sujatha’s powerful work together for years, and can’t wait to witness them share some teachings “about restorative justice, accountability and building the muscle of unconditional love.” 

There’s really a lot more. Nigguns from Jeremiah Lockwood, Frank London, Martine Duffy and Daphna Mor, a 16th century kabbalistic teaching from yours truly, late night cheesecake and lots more. 

And coffee. 

Late night tickets are still selling so please get yours if you haven’t already.

Shabbat shalom y’all, can’t wait to bring in this holiday with you. 
Rabbi Misha