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******************************************************************** Rabbi Moshe Cotel has found his true calling as the musical rabbi par
excellence. His musical magic emanates not from singing, but from his
fingers, which weave a spell of piano sound that would be merely
heavenly were it not firmly rooted in the moment-to-moment story of
human existence. His brilliant storytelling, which introduces the
musical pieces, seamlessly stitches memories and revelations from his
own past with Torah, midrash, and Kabbalah (plus the occasional
biographical tidbit from the composers whose music he interprets,)
delivered in a warm and personal way that both charms and enlightens.
******************************************************************** Rabbi Moshe Cotel was our guest performer at Temple Bat Yahm, Newport
Beach, CA this past January, and our chapel was filled to capacity to
hear him. His performance program, “Chronicles: A Jewish Life at
the Classical Piano” drew a standing ovation and an encore -
during much of the concert, you could hear a pin drop in the audience.
The pieces Cotel has chosen for “Chronicles” are virtuosic
piano works, and the monologues that bridge the music in this program
are witty, humorous, and enlightening. Cotel is a consummate artist who
truly brings his audience to a connection between music and
spirituality. Chronicles is a unique program that raises both to a
higher level, and I give Rabbi Cotel my highest recommendation!
Bravo! ******************************************************************** Rabbi Moshe Cotel gave a wonderful performance in our community last
week. The place is still a-buzz with how exciting it was to hear a
musician of his caliber in our new sanctuary! It truly was an exalted
and holy moment in time that will be hard to forget. For the moments of
the concert Cotel brought together our interfaith audience through his
inspired music and soulful stories. We were united and blessed,
Christian and Jew, to the delight of all. May Rabbi Cotel always have
more strength to share the melodies of his soul. We all will still be
listening. ******************************************************************** Shalom Everyone, I’d like to tell you about a program our synagogue
sponsored last week, which was quite different, but very educational and
entertaining. It was a combination of classical music and Torah,
performed and preached by Rabbi Moshe Cotel. Let me tell you about
Moshe— Moshe is a classical pianist and composer. At the age of
13, he composed a four-movement symphony in full score. After graduating
Juilliard, he became one of the youngest winners of the American Rome
Prize in Music Composition. He served as Chair of Composition at The
Peabody Institute, John Hopkins University. He commenced his rabbinical
studies at The Academy of Jewish Religion at the age of 53. The program
consisted of brief Divrei Torah which were related to the pieces he
would then play on the piano-and he played pieces from Mozart, Gershwin,
Rachmaninoff, Mendelsohn, etc. His Torah was quite good but his piano
playing was just outstanding and it was quite an evening! ******************************************************************** Moshe Cotel was phenomenal! His stories were spellbinding and the
performance was breathtaking. My congregation is still talking about
what a gift it was to have the privilege of experiencing his moving,
inspirational sermon in song. ******************************************************************** Rabbi Moshe Cotel astonished our congregation when he recently performed
his composition “Chronicles” here. As a virtuoso pianist who
combines his incredible artistry with a fine sense of creating warm,
humorous and insightful modern midrashim, Cotel wove together an evening
of music and spirituality. It was more than either the music or the
midrashim, a unique program that elevated both. Several people remarked
that this was one of the most memorable events that we have ever
had. ******************************************************************** Rabbi Moshe Cotel is a gifted musician and an alert and listening soul.
His careful introductions prior to each musical piece were a warm weave
of insight, humor, wisdom from the Jewish Tradition, and profound
spirituality, and his piano performance was extraordinary and moving.
St. Edmund’s Episcopal Church was delighted to be a part of this
ecumenical venture with five local synagogues, and our parishioners were
deeply moved by the luminous spirituality of Judaism embodied in Rabbi
Cotel’s “Chronicles.” What a satisfying evening!
******************************************************************** Rabbi Moshe Cotel gifted my church with his presence this spring. This
renowned composer/classical pianist and Rabbi came to us and talked
story —- with words and with music. He spoke of his journey as a
pianist and his call to the ministry, his story of faith. Our sanctuary
was filled with Christians and Jews, all of us spellbound, moved to both
laughter and to tears. We were also moved to a deeper understanding of
our own personal journeys, of our shared heritage and tragic history, to
a greater appreciation of our precious uniqueness as individuals and as
faith communities, and to an awareness of our essential sacred oneness.
So I thank Rabbi Cotel for blessing all of us present and gifting me and
my beloved St. Bede’s Episcopal Church with his sacred
story. ******************************************************************** I highly recommend Rabbi Moshe Cotel to any Catholic Church. He performed
his “Chronicles” on Laetare Sunday at our parish church. We
had over a hundred parishioners who came, young and old. He presented
different forms of Jewish spirituality in his talks between pieces. Then
he translated that spirituality into music. I and our parishioners found
the event to be an experience both uplifting and informative. I
especially loved the way he reached out to the children among us. He
chose one of our children to help him in a one-handed piano piece that
kept us all riveted to what he was doing. ******************************************************************** First of all let me say that Rabbi Moshe Cotel's Chronicles, has to be
one of the richest musical religious experiences of my life. The music
and the sermons that went with each piece of music was a feast for the
ears as well as the soul. As an Episcopal priest, it is so easy to think
that my expression of faith is the only way of doing things, but Rabbi
Cotel showed me a way to enter into his faith world without abandoning
mine and allowing me to honor and cherish both. I cannot thank him
enough for his performance and his wisdom. I have told all of colleagues
that if they have a chance to witness this performance that they should
go and take their congregations with them. ******************************************************************** |