Chanting & Chocolate – Debbie Havusha’s Blog
Chanting & Chocolate
On Sunday, December 27th I attended ‘Chanting &Chocolate’ at Or Shalom synagogue. Upon entering I gave a donation and was given a lyric sheet. This sheet with 7 chants written in English, in Hebrew and transliterated Hebrew, exceeded all the expectations of my curious and busy mind.
The Chanting & Chocolate band members: Wendy Rubin, Lorne Mallin, Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan, Charles Kaplan and Eric Brown graced the stage with contagious ease and joyful talent. Their musical instruments and vocals were orchestrated with sweet, pure and guided ‘kavannah’ (Hebrew for intention). I was swept away chanting lyrics praising love, light, strength, healing, gratitude, kindness and righteousness.
Each repetition of the chanted Hebrew and English words produced meditative qualities, bringing more meaning with every subsequent repetition. The cadence of the accompanying musical instruments surrendered to each chanted word.
On the last Sunday of every month this ‘Musical Tabernacle’ of beautiful offerings uplifts the spirit and clears and calms the mind. For the finale, home baked chocolate brownies by founder Lorne Mallin and an assortment of teas nourish the body and mind.
I love indulging in good chocolate. To my recent delight I have discovered the intoxicating effect of chanting. Chanting and Chocolate makes for a very good mix for an uplifting start to my New Year!
NOTE: The chant evenings are held at Or Shalom, 710 E.10th Ave. at Fraser. There is a suggested $10 donation. More if you have it, less if you don’t. Proceeds help five Ugandan Jewish orphans go to school. The next Chanting & Chocolate will be on Sunday, January 31, 2016.
Call Lorne Mallin for more info at 604-222-3379 and check out the website-Chantingandchocolate.com
