Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Adas Israel in Cleveland Park has a choir -- can't recall if they have an organ but they might. You could call and ask.

Honestly the choir was one of the reasons we left, but to each their own.

Adas has a choir? Surprising for a conservative shul, particularly one that I thought was fairly traditional.

Though a choir is untraditional, it presents few (no?) halachic problems. I have been in Orthodox synagogues with (all male) choirs.

Their are conflicting rulings on the use of musical instruments on shabbat and yom tov in the C movement. The position allowing instruments is more common on the west coast. Adas is the only east coast C shul I am aware of that allows it (though I am sure there are others)

They had it for the High Holidays, though this is going back 10 years so perhaps they no longer do. Not sure if they had it the rest of the time.

Beth El in Alexandria does a Soul Shabbat once a month that is very heavy on music. Next Soul Shabbat is on 11/18 at 7:30.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Adas Israel in Cleveland Park has a choir -- can't recall if they have an organ but they might. You could call and ask.

Honestly the choir was one of the reasons we left, but to each their own.

Adas has a choir? Surprising for a conservative shul, particularly one that I thought was fairly traditional.

Though a choir is untraditional, it presents few (no?) halachic problems. I have been in Orthodox synagogues with (all male) choirs.

Their are conflicting rulings on the use of musical instruments on shabbat and yom tov in the C movement. The position allowing instruments is more common on the west coast. Adas is the only east coast C shul I am aware of that allows it (though I am sure there are others)

Anonymous wrote:Adas Israel in Cleveland Park has a choir -- can't recall if they have an organ but they might. You could call and ask.

Honestly the choir was one of the reasons we left, but to each their own.

Adas has a choir? Surprising for a conservative shul, particularly one that I thought was fairly traditional.

Adas Israel in Cleveland Park has a choir -- can't recall if they have an organ but they might. You could call and ask.

Honestly the choir was one of the reasons we left, but to each their own.

Washington Hebrew has an organ.

Beth El in Alexandria did when I was a child in the 90s, not sure if they still do.

I grew up going to Baltimore Hebrew Congregation; as far as I know, they still have an organist and a full choir.

As a child, I attended a reform synagogue in Connecticut and the most memorable moments for me were the music produced by the organist and the (one man and one woman) cantors. I understand that the use of an organist in synagogues has gone out of fashion for being too "churchy" but I loved the almost symphonic settings of Jewish songs and prayers. Are there any synagogues in the Washington DC area that use an organ in their services?

P.S. The use of the organ in Jewish services flourished in pre-Nazi Germany, but nearly all the organs were destroyed during Kristallnacht.
http://holocaustmusic.ort.org/music0/organ-music/