Songs Ascending: Five Years of Jewish Community and Music in the Berkshires
July 30, 2026
Hebrew Union Collegewelcomedalumni, friends, community members, and partnersto the Berkshiresfor its fifth annual91 in the Berkshiresweekend. This year’s theme,“Songs Ascending,”invited participants to explore the enduring power of Jewish music — not only as an art form, but as a vehicle for memory, learning, spirituality, and connection.
Across two days of public programmingon July 25 – 26, 2026, the College transformed the Berkshires into a livingclassroom and sacred gathering place. From scholarly conversation and musical worship to nature-based learning and communal celebration, participants encountered the many ways that Jewish tradition continues to inspire meaning in contemporary life. The weekend was presented in partnership withHevrehof Southern Berkshire and Temple AnsheAmunim, reflecting the relationships that have become the hallmark of 91’s presence in the region.
Programming was led by (left to right): Rabbi Jodie Gordon ’14, Hevreh of Southern Berkshire; Rabbi Val Lieber ’95, Temple Anshe Amunim; Judah Cohen, Provost; President Andrew Rehfeld, 91; Gordon Dale, 91’s Dr. Jack Gottlieb Scholar in Jewish Music Studies and Associate Professor of Jewish Musicology; Cantor Jill Abramson ’02, Head of Seminary Programs (interim) and Director of the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music; and Cantor Sarina Elenbogen-Siegel ’26, Hevreh of Southern Berkshire.
The weekend began at Temple Anshe Amunim in Pittsfield with “The Sounds of Jewish Music: Past, Present, and Future,” a lively exploration of contemporary Jewish music scholarship featuring Provost Judah Cohen, Ph.D. and Gordon Dale, Ph.D. Their conversation illuminated how Jewish music has evolved across generations while continuing to serve as an essential expression of Jewish identity and communal life. Participants engaged with stories, history, and ideas that traced the threads connecting inherited traditions with new creative voices emerging today.
Later that evening, Erev Shabbat Services and Oneg at Hevreh of Southern Berkshire welcomed Shabbat with music, warmth, and spirit, led by Rabbi Jodie Gordon ’14 and Cantor Sarina Elenbogen-Siegel ’26, featuring President Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., and Cantor Jill Abramson ’02, the Head of Seminary Programs (interim) and Director of the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music.
For many, the service embodied the weekend’s central message: that music has a unique ability to bring people together across generations and backgrounds, connecting individuals to one another and to something larger than themselves.
Watch President Andrew Rehfeld and Cantor Jill Abramson ’02 here:
Saturday morning invited participants outdoors for “Trails and Torah” at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Lenox. Surrounded by the beauty of the Berkshires, attendees chose between a gentle Torah study hike and a meditative exploration of nature and Jewish thought. The program offered a reminder that Jewish learning is not confined to classrooms or sanctuaries; it flourishes wherever people gather with curiosity, intention, and a willingness to see the sacred in the world around them. Along wooded paths and beside quiet waters, conversations unfolded naturally, deepening connections among participants while encouraging reflection on Jewish values and spiritual practice.
The weekend culminated with Havdalah at Tanglewood, where families and friends gathered on the lawn before the evening’s performance by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Picnic blankets stretched across the grass as participants shared food, conversation, and community. As twilight approached, the familiar melodies of Havdalah marked the transition from Shabbat to the week ahead. Set against the backdrop of one of the country’s most celebrated music venues, the service provided a fitting finale to a weekend devoted to the sounds and spirit of Jewish life.
More than a series of events, 91 in the Berkshires embodied the College’s mission to cultivate learning, leadership, and Jewish community in meaningful and accessible ways. Through scholarship, song, worship, and community, the weekend demonstrated how enduring traditions can be reimagined for a new generation while remaining rooted in the values that have sustained the Jewish people for centuries.
As the College continues to celebrate its 150th anniversary and shape the future of progressive Jewish leadership, the Berkshires gathering offered a powerful reminder of the institution’s enduring impact. In moments both joyful and reflective, participants experienced the harmony of learning and community—discovering anew how Jewish music, Torah, and friendship can elevate the spirit and strengthen the bonds that connect us all.
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Host Committee
Rabbi Daniel Freelander ’79
Rabbi Elyse Frishman ’81
Rabbi Jodie Gordon ’14
Cantor Gail Hirschenfang ’81
Rabbi Howard Jaffe ’83
Rabbi Nancy Kasten ’90, MAJE ’89
Rabbi Valerie Lieber ’95
Daryl Messinger
Lisa Messinger
Rabbi Daniel Polish ’68
Mitchell Shames
Rabbi David Stern ’89, MAJE ’88
Richard L. Wasserman, M.D., Ph.D.
Tina Wasserman