Temple Concord will hold a musical Solis-Cohen Scholar-in-Residence weekend with Cantor Jeff Klepper and Rabbi Dan Freelander of Kol B’Seder from Friday-Sunday, June 10-12. The event is sponsored by Temple Concord’s Solis-Cohen Scholar-in-Residence Fund. All programs will be offered in person and online via zoom and the Temple Concord Facebook page.

“We are looking forward to gathering together in person and online to celebrate Shabbat together with Cantor Klepper and singer performer Sue Horowitz on Friday night, study and sing with Rabbi Freelander and Cantor Klepper on Saturday, enjoy their concert Saturday night and learn from Rabbi Freelander about Jewish communities worldwide on Sunday morning,” said organizers of the event. 

Klepper and Freelander formed their musical duo, Kol B’Seder, in 1971. “We are honored to be part of their pandemic-extended 50th Anniversary Tour with their concert Saturday night in the social hall,” said organizers. “Jeff and Dan have composed some of the most beloved and enduring Jewish songs of the 20th and 21st centuries. We often sing their Shalom Rav, Haporeis Sukkat Shalom, Modeh Ani and Oseh Shalom at our services.”

Klepper, assisted by singer-songwriter Sue Horowitz, will be leading Shabbat services on Friday night with Rabbi Barbara Goldman-Wartell. He will also give a sermon in song about “How Contemporary Music has Changed the Sound of the Synagogue.” It will feature information about Debbie Friedman’s impact on Kol B’Seder and other musicians’ music. Horowitz recently moved to Ithaca and has produced five CDs of original music. She has toured, and offered programs to congregations and communities using song. To view the service virtually, click here, meeting ID: 869 9699 8146 and passcode 826330.

Freelander and Klepper will lead in Shabbat song and Torah study on June 11 at 9:15 am in person and on Zoom here, meeting ID 882 9808 7579 and passcode 676707.

Kol B’Seder will perform a concert on June 11 at 7 pm. For more information, see the sidebar to this article below. 

Freelander will speak about “Progressive Jewish Communities outside of the United States and Israel” on June 12 as part of Temple Concord’s joint adult education brunch series with Temple Israel. “Rabbi Freelander is uniquely qualified to talk about these communities as he was the president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism from 2014-2019,” organizers said. The brunch will begin at 10 am at Temple Concord, with the program starting at 10:30 am. The cost is $7 per person for the brunch. Reservations are due by Thursday, June 9, and can be made by contacting the synagogue at TempleConcordbinghamton@gmail.com or 723-7355. Walk-ins are also welcome. The Zoom link for the event is availbe here, meeting ID 850 9986 1626 and passcode 623610.

The Solis-Cohen Scholar-in-Residence Fund was established at Temple Concord by Ann Rosenthal and her sister, Mary Keller, as a memorial to their parents, J. Solis-Cohen, Jr. and Marion Labe Solis-Cohen of Philadelphia. The purpose of the Solis-Cohen Scholar-in-Residence Fund is to bring speakers and programs to Temple Concord every other year. Donations to the Temple Concord’s Solis-Cohen Scholarship-in-Residence Fund are appreciated to ensure that the synagogue can continue to provide adult educational programs.