Local cantor sings at the Vatican
Sara Gilbert, Rockland Jewish Federation Reporter
Cantor Sally Neff has done what few Jews ever get a chance to do.
She’s gotten to sing at the Vatican.
Neff, of Temple Beth Torah in Nyack, was one of 20 clergy members who traveled to the Vatican to sing as part of an interfaith relations program. The program is meant to help build stronger connections and understanding between Jews and Catholics.
Each of the cantors were chosen based on a video audition and a personal explanation of why interfaith work was important. A group from the American Conference of Cantors, led by Gunther Lawrence who spearheaded the program, was then responsible for choosing the top 20 from those applicants.
The four-day trip was a whirlwind of activity between touring the Vatican, meeting with American student priests, blogging and singing in the choir. “It was an amazing, inspiring, fantastic journey. I feel so unbelievably blessed to have been included and to have a part in it.”
One moment that stands out for her was when they were being introduced, just prior to their concert at the Basilica of Santa Marie. “I looked out at the audience and at my colleagues and I thought ‘God is smiling!’ And then I got all choked up, which was terrible because I had to sing in three seconds and I’m thinking I can’t cry now.
“It felt like this is what music is for. What we love about music is the harmony, the different notes that come together and make a beautiful song together. And here we were making harmony is this humongous Catholic Basilica with Jewish music. It was just so incredibly special.”
Neff, who says she always loved singing since as far back as she can remember, originally was studying opera in college, but this changed after discovering that she would not get to see her family much and there was no real sense of community. “I realized that is not the life that I want. I’m a very community-oriented, family-oriented person.”
At the same time, she was getting more involved with Hillel and Judaism, and Judaic studies became her second major. “With Judaic studies and vocal performing as your majors, it’s kind of obvious what direction you’re going.” And so, after graduating from Oberlin College and Conservatory, Neff went straight to Hebrew Union College to become a cantor.
She has been the cantor at Temple Beth Torah since July 2004 and she could not be happier.
“This congregation has just the most wonderful people, warm and inviting. It has the feel of a family. And they all love music.”
According to Temple Beth Torah’s Rabbi Beal, “the mission of the trip was of paramount importance. As Jews, our longing for a world filled with shalom will only be accomplished if we are able to build bridges of understanding with people of all faiths.”
Individuals in the congregation felt it was important for Neff to participate and pitched in to pay for the trip.
“Neff possesses extraordinary talent, a keen intellect, and a blessed soul… she was able to weave together all of these qualities and bring our sacred community on the journey with her,” said Beal. Just one way in which she managed to do this was through a blog she kept while on the trip. Through this blog she was able to update her community and others around the world and communicate with them in real-time.
The purpose of the trip was to get people talking about interfaith issues, working together and finding commonality. The trip succeeded in many ways but it’s still going on, it’s a process, according to Neff., who has always had a strong connection to interfaith work, coordinating the music each year for Rockland County’s interfaith Thanksgiving service.
“I think that music is the universal language of God and when we can come together and overlook our differences, especially through music, I just think it’s the most holy thing,” she said.
A documentary on Catholic-Jewish relations in general and focusing on this trip, entitled “Across the Holy Lands,” is in the process of being produced and is seeking funding. “When it comes out that’s going to be another great moment in conversation,” Neff said. “Making sure that the documentary gets fully financed is important because that is the way to get to the widest audience.”
The afternoon the 20 cantors spent talking to student priests was an important one as well.
“These are the next generation of priests and having that conversation with them about our differences and similarities was a great step.”
There were many moments and opportunities to reach out to people who normally were not exposed to Judaism. “There’s never been a choir of cantors that sang a concert in a Basilica before and we were only in one small part of it. Over on another side there were people with rosaries praying, and in the background of their prayers were cantors singing
v’ahavta .”
The next step is to bring the documentary and the experience back to others, according to Neff. “Making sure that we don’t take our experience and think now we’re done,” she said. “Of course we’re not done, of course there’s more to do and of course there’s more connections to make.
“We’re still at the beginning of this path… a wonderful path of conversation and dialogue between all different faiths.”
