In Parshat Beshalach, Shmot 15:20 after the men sang “Az
Yashir”, The Song of the Sea we read: “Miriam the prophetess, sister of Aharon,
took the drum in her hand; and all the women followed her with drums and
dancing.”
Rashi quotes the Mechilta to explain where the drums came
from: “The righteous women of that generation were sure that God would perform
miracles for them so they took drums out of
When the Jews were finally able to leave
were not able to carry their large instruments with them. However, their skills
and love of music remained with them.
Many Israelis who made aliya from
are now music teachers in
elementary schools and have greatly enhanced the level of culture in
In 1989, the Spektors, a family of talented musicians
arrived from
joined my grandmother’s shul in the Kingsbridge section of the
violin and appreciated music so she was very excited to meet this family along
with many other Russian Jews who joined the community.
When I was in a teen theater group in Riverdale, we had the
honor of having Bella, the mother, accompany us on the piano during one of our
performances.
Although Bella could not bring over her Petrof piano from
her nine year old daughter,
When the Spektor’s arrived in
the Riverdale Jewish Community Council’s Russian Resettlement Program provided
them with whatever they needed including furniture and enrollment in the Jewish
day school,
missing was a piano.
Adinah Kranzler who ran a summer art camp donated a piano
that was no longer needed to the Spektors. A
flights of stairs.
Regina Spektor is now a famous singer-songwriter and record
producer yet she still never got rid of the old piano.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal on November 8,
2013,
commented: “I always feel like the instruments we have played are our
friends…you don’t abandon old people or old pets, so why would you abandon an
old friend you made music with?”
