Mazal’s V’AHAVTA

In simplest terms, Mazal’s V’ahavta serves as a tribute to my beloved Hebrew instructor, Mazal Rosenblatt. Some of the most pivotal memories from my Jewish upbringing include my weekly visits to her home in Amberly, Ohio to prepare the prayers and Torah portion for my upcoming Bar Mitzvah, a Jewish coming-of-age celebration. As the name suggests, this work highlights one such prayer, the V’ahavta, which indirectly translates to “You Shall Love.” 

Transcribing an old reference recording from the depths of my iPhone’s Camera Roll, I recreate Mazal’s intermittent breath pauses and increasingly off-pitch tangents through a dramatic cello voice. The technicality requirements are relatively simple, meant to mimic the universal achievability of Jewish prayer melodies. Capitalizing on its diverse capabilities, I utilize the piano to reflect on my own reformed upbringing and personal associations with the idea of “cultural Judaism”. This notation is much more challenging and complex, requiring sporadic shifts between a myriad of genres.