Music

Music is an integral part of every service at M’kor Shalom. Our Cantor leads many talented volunteers in an outstanding Adult Choir and a spirited Chavurah Ensemble. Shabbat services, High Holy Days and other services and events are enhanced by time-honored sacred music and contemporary Jewish prayer-settings.

Kol Nidre Ensemble

The High Holy Day Ensemble is a small choral group, under the direction of Cantor Anita F. Hochman, that participates in and enhances our Kol Nidre service.

Chavurah Ensemble

Under the leadership of Cantor Anita F. Hochman, a Chavurah (Fellowship) Ensemble was formed, made up of 20 congregants who love to sing, as well as a number of very talented instrumentalists from the congregation. The ensemble’s goal is to encourage greater congregational participation during Shabbat services. Our Chavurah Ensemble offers a “folk/rock feel” in their presentation of unique melodies set to familiar prayers. The melodies are inviting, uplifting, at times meditative, and always a reflection of our desire to worship as a joyous community in the celebration of Shabbat.

The sources for the music are as diverse as the Jewish people itself, drawing from Chassidic, Israeli, Yiddish and contemporary composers. New tunes and familiar ones are integrated to create a worship experience that for many has become the highlight of their Shabbat observance. Join us and add your voice to so many others who have discovered their unique spirit.

New people are welcome! Please contact Cantor Hochman if you would like to share your love of Jewish music!

The M’kor Shalom Choir

Under the direction of Cantor Anita F. Hochman, the M’kor Shalom Choir serves as a unique source of inspiration for listeners and choir members alike. In addition to enhancing worship during the High Holy Days and at numerous Shabbat services throughout the year, the choir can be found performing at a variety of special events both within our synagogue and across the region. Our adult choir is made up of over 45 men and women who love celebrating our people’s heritage through music.

The choir has represented M’kor Shalom at countless Zimriyot (choral festivals) throughout our region and beyond. The amazing opportunities that have come their way over the years include performing in Israel, at Carnegie Hall and at Symphony Hall with the New Jersey State Opera Company. Shirei Makor, our first recording, includes a diverse sampling of the choir’s repertoire, as well as a number of the melodies the congregation sings together at Shabbat services.

Our Choir’s repertoire is vibrant and varied, offering something for every musical taste. Congregants experience settings from the classical to the contemporary to enhance their worship experience.

Unity Choir

Reflecting the innovative style of M’kor Shalom, new opportunities often arise. In January of 2004, a unique partnership was formed with the Kaighn Avenue Baptist Church of Camden and their gifted music minister, Dr. Beverly Collins. Together, we have discovered a shared passion for celebrating God and a common vision for lifting up and healing through song. What started as a joint project sponsored by our congregations to celebrate the life and dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King has grown to include directors Evelyn Thomas and Donavon Soumas. Singers joyfully participate in the Unity Choir from numerous churches as far north as Somerset, New Jersey, to Woodstown, New Jersey, to our south. At times boasting as many as 100 singers and instrumentalists, the Unity Choir quickly became an abiding and incomparable bond that continues to lead us to new projects and occasions to rejoice in song. In recent years, we have performed at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia and for the NJ Martin Luther King, Jr., Commission’s commemorative celebration in Trenton, NJ.

It is our privilege and an incomparable gift to share our voices and our hearts in mutual celebration of God, of humanity, and of our deep desire for peace and justice in our world.