Cantorial Soloist: ABBY GOSTEIN

Abby Gostein moved to Austin to serve as Cantorial Soloist at Temple Beth Shalom in December of 2003. She previously served as Cantorial Soloist at Congregation Sha'aray Shalom in Hingham, MA from 1997-2003 and at Congregation Beth Israel in Austin, from 1994-1997. She has been committed to Jewish education and spiritual growth through Jewish music since her teen years, teaching Jewish music to children since 1986, starting at the synagogue of her upbringing, the Free Synagogue of Westchester, in Mt. Vernon, NY. She has led Jewish groups of all ages in prayer and song since 1988. She holds a Master's degree in Speech-language Pathology from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Yale University. She has been head songleader at several different Jewish camps, including Shwayder in Colorado and Greene Family Camp in Bruceville, Texas. She lives with her husband, Michael, whom she met in 1992 in Austin, and her two sons, Daniel (4 years old) and Aaron (almost 2 years old).

CANTORIAL "NOTES" from Abby

I am honored by this wonderful welcome you have given me tonight and I’m thrilled to be your new Cantorial Soloist. My family and I have had such a smooth transition into Beth Shalom and back into Austin life and that could not have been so without the love and support of so many people. I feel extremely blessed and have many, many people to thank.

Has it been only one month? Since starting in the Cantorial Soloist position on January first, I’ve had the pleasure of leading TBS in worship and song on several occasions. I’ve had the wonderful experience of meeting with many dedicated musical congregants for vocal and instrumental rehearsals and leading with them at Shabbat services. I’ve been gracefully guided through office orientation by Lisa McCready and have had many productive meetings with Rabbi Freedman focused on planning services and working towards worship and musical goals for the benefit of our Congregation.

Months before I came here, I knew this was a wonderful congregation. We are extremely fortunate at Beth Shalom to have the most enthusiastic Temple Ambassadors in the world. From the first moment I spoke with Tiffany Goodman-Bilbe, your former Music Director, I felt at home. And just when I thought Tiffany’s energy and warmth could not be equaled, I spoke with Patti Bridwell who chaired the Music Director search committee. Tiffany, Patti and the entire search committee convinced me easily that this congregation was full of wonderful people with whom my family would form great relationships, and that Beth Shalom was a place where voices were ready to rise in song together. How could I not want to join you as Cantorial Soloist?

I’d like to acknowledge the entire search committee and the Temple Board, especially Dee and Don Coplin. I know that without hours and hours of your dedicated efforts, I could not be here today. I have appreciated your work and the many offers of help you have given me and my family over these past months.

The Shalomites’ leaders have been amazing, with their countless emails and phone calls helping me integrate music into the enriching programs we provide for our age 0-5 crowd. They have also helped my family’s transition here, with suggestions of neighborhoods and schools before we came, and visits and support once we arrived. I am enjoying many new friendships and so are my boys.

Tiffany, you have shown deep care for and given incredible service to this congregation. Your detailed emails to and conversations with me have helped to orient me to the great things that went on in the musical program under your leadership. Thank you for coordinating the musical gift to me tonight. You and all these incredible musical congregants you have guided are such an enhancement to the worship here. All of you have given such a gift to the entire congregation by your participation. And, thankfully, this group is not ready to quit. I’m looking forward to more and more of this wonderful music as I get to work with all of you.

I can hardly find enough thanks to give to Rabbi Freedman for his guidance during my transition here. Just in case anyone doesn’t know yet, he is a big mensch. I have appreciated his friendship and insights greatly already. I have even already seen his skill and grace under pressure, as one week we discovered at the last minute that our service booklets were missing and we had to switch to a service we had not prepared. Rabbi Freedman is a wonderful professional partner and I look forward to working together with him for a long time.

I’m uplifted by the presence of so many of you here tonight. Thank you for being the wonderful congregation you are. It’s a joy to sing and worship with you.

But my thanks do not come without strings attached (pick up guitar) :)

Seriously, I have some requests.

Firstly, please come to the upcoming pre-Shabbat service sing-alongs where we will sing old favorites and learn new tunes. They will definitely be lots of fun and a great way to get more familiar with the music in our service! The only requirement for coming is love of music. The next two sing-alongs will be February 13th and 27th at 7:30pm, 15 minutes prior to the congregational Shabbat services. I’m hoping many of you will come to help us be as SINGING a congregation as possible and to enrich your own worship experience.

Secondly, if you are interested in singing or playing an instrument at a service or other congregational event, don’t be shy! I want to meet you and get you as musically involved as you’d like to be.

Thirdly, please introduce yourself to me and my family, whether you are a musician or not. Please come up and introduce yourself tonight.

Finally, I would like to extend an invitation to everyone in the congregation to join me and my family for a Shabbat Open House on Feb 7th between 2 and 5 pm at our home. This will give us a great opportunity to get to know more of the congregation and will also enrich our Shabbat experience.

I look forward to the praying and singing that we will do together in the many days ahead.

SHABBAT SINGALONG

LOVE TO SING old favorite Jewish songs and learn new ones? Join Cantorial Soloist, Abby Gostein, and the TBS community for a fun-filled SHABBAT SINGALONG (only love of music is required)
Feb 13 and Feb 27
7:30pm-7:45pm (just prior to the congregational Shabbat service)
Hope to see you there!

 Music Library

• Want to learn all of the Shabbat melodies sung at TBS- and then some!?
• Want to practice chanting for your bar/bat mitzvah?
• Want to supplement your Hebrew class learning with songs?
• Want to enjoy listening to Jewish music in your car?
• Want to host a Shabbat dinner and singalong, but you're not a songleader?
• Want to supplement your child's Religious School learning with holiday music?

Temple Beth Shalom has a music library for ALL congregants to enjoy and utilize. Housed in Lisa McCready's office on the second floor of the Education Building is a file box containing music books, sheet music, CD Recordings, and information on Jewish music for TBS congregants to check out. Just email Lisa or call her at 735-8900 to arrange for a time to come by and check it out. Specific instructions for Music Library usage can be found on the top of the file box.

 In this library you will find most of the Jewish music we sing for services, Shabbat, Havdallah, Holidays, Children's events, Religious School, B'nai Mitzvah preparation, Hebrew classes, and other events - in addition to many other beautiful and fun melodies for various occasions. Also in this library is a set of "learning quality" CDs recorded by Tiffany Goodman Bilbe that you are welcome to check out and use or even to burn your own CD copies.

 This is just the beginning of our TBS Music Library, and we greatly welcome any music you have to contribute to our files as well! If you have any questions or you are looking for a particular piece of music not found in these files, please contact Tiffany for a search through her many additional books, CDs, cassettes, and music references.

 TBS warmly thanks Tiffany for her contribution of her time and resources to bring our congregation such a wonderful gift.