Jonah’s death ten years ago commenced a journey for many of us that has been filled with sadness (of course) but also with love — so much love. With this campaign, “10 Years Later,” you’re invited to spend some time with some of Jonah’s best friends and teachers.
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Meet Chana Rothman.
Chana is a Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter/educator whose most recent project, 3 Songs for Justice, is a collaboration with two other singer/songwriters, Eliana Light and Isaac Zones, to create usable, soul-lifting, singable songs for today’s troubled world. Her most-recent album, Rainbow Train, is a danceable revolution of tunes about freedom of gender and self-expression for children and people of all ages. Learn more about Chana and her music at chanarothman.com.
Chana writes:
In the past two years I have started using a ukulele to songlead. I feel connected to Jonah every time I use it to lead music. Jonah always insisted on using his ukulele whenever he could, and it was as if he had tuned (pardon the pun) into a kind of joy that was enduring and, also, ahead of his time. Nowadays many of us have clued into how great and fun it is to lead with a ukulele but back then, Jonah was a trailblazer.
His style of leading has stayed with me through other memories as well.
From Jonah I learned how to rouse a crowd before motzi with his signature cover of Etan G’s “Makin’ A Motzi,” which he did better than anyone else and it came to be his. I still use this intro whenever I need a fun, creative way to bring people together and get rowdy before motzi. With Jonah’s call and response, “Hey-o, Hey-o,” I get everyone rocking. I’m channeling Jonah, feeling the energy of the group and the call to elevate the mitzvah of the motzi with raucous energy and elation.
When I lead “Makin’ A Motzi,” I name Jonah to the group and tell them a little about him, and then I teach them their part (“Hey-O, Hey-O”). I wave my arms back and forth, showing the crowd the rhythm just as Jonah did, drawing upon his youthful energy and his refusal to do it halfway. I feel that he and I are leading it together.
From Jonah I learned a bold, fearless kind of song leading. I learned that you can do it your way and be effective, that you don’t have to toe the line or follow guidelines all the time. Jonah taught me that a person can be stubbornly, colorfully, beautifully themselves, gathering a community around them while doing so.
The way that Jonah was able to burst forth as himself every place he went is an image I will forever carry with me as inspiration, and as a reminder of the joy that is possible when we show the world who we truly are.
Chana
We all miss that boy. It’ll probably always hurt that he’s gone. But he left us so much, and that’s what these writings express. Watch for them in emails and postings throughout the month. Our hope is that these stories will inspire you to make your gift at jonahmac.org/donate to help us help kids build whole, healthy lives.
We continue to miss Jonah and to feel grateful: a) that we had him in our lives; and, b) that he’s inspired us to do good stuff in his name. We’re incredibly honored that you’ve joined us in our work and thank you in advance for donating to our Summer Campaign.
ALSO ALSO ALSO … The Jonah Maccabee Foundation is so proud to now be the beneficiaries of the proceeds from four exceptional musical recordings:
“So Is Life” was recorded by (ta da!) So Is Life, which includes Dan Nichols, Josh Nelson, Cantor Rosalie Boxt and Cantor Ellen Dreskin. It’s a magnificent album and is available to you as a download and on CD (if anyone still has a CD player). You can order So Is Life right here.
And now, you can order the music of Beged Kefet (which, for you youngsters out there, was a Jewish performance group that Ellen and Billy were in for a good 20 years or so). Beged Kefet recorded three albums, all now available to you! Our thanks to the members of Beged Kefet — Beth Sher, Cantor Leon Sher, Cantor Riki Lippitz, Cantor Benjie Ellen Schiller, Cantor Ellen Dreskin, Rabbi Les Bronstein and Rabbi Billy Dreskin — for allowing us to use the proceeds from their three recordings to help kids build whole, healthy lives. You can order your Beged Kefet digital downloads here. We’re also streaming, so check us out on Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to music!
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