Songs Ascending: Five Years of Jewish Community and Music in the Berkshires

H ebrew Union College welcomed alumni, friends, community members, and partners to the Berkshires for its fifth annual Hebrew Union College in the Berkshires weekend. 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 programming on July 25 - 26, 2026 , the College transformed the Berkshires into a living classroom 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 with Hevreh of Southern Berkshire and Temple Anshe Amunim , reflecting the relationships that have become the hallmark of Hebrew Union College's presence in the region.

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.