Song of the Soul.
New shul a breakaway from Temple Shalom
by Eric Fingerhut, Staff Writer

A new synagogue will hold its first official Shabbat service tomorrow evening -- just down the street from where most of the congregants, as well as the clergy, used to worship every week.

Shirat HaNefesh (Song of the Soul) was formed by about 30 members of Temple Shalom in Chevy Chase who were disappointed with the Reform congregation's decision not to renew the contracts of associate Rabbi Gerald Serotta and Cantor Ramon Tasat. They founded their own congregation in the Chevy Chase/Silver Spring area, hiring Serotta and Tasat to lead it.

Steering committee member Heidi Coleman said a number of congregants were very close to the two clergy, whose departure opened up a "unique opportunity" to "create something better," a congregation that will have a strong focus on social action and music.

Coleman could not provide exact membership numbers yet, but said about 65 families were on the congregation's listserv.

"I got lucky -- some folks decided they didn't want to leave me behind," said Serotta, 61, who noted that he hadn't been ready to retire and was looking for a position in the area when Shirat HaNefesh approached him this spring. After spending eight years at Temple Shalom and the 26 years before that as a director of various Hillels, including at George Washington University, Serotta said he is excited to have the opportunity to create something from the ground up.

For Tasat, 47, who spent nine years at Temple Shalom, the new congregation is "a dream come true." The new community is "both greatly exciting and at the same time an enormous measure of responsibility," she said.

Temple Shalom president Elizabeth Kingery declined to comment on the reasons for the departure of Serotta and Tasat. But she wished the new congregation well.

"It is sad to see members leave Temple Shalom at all," she said. "I have known, prayed and worked for a long time with some of the people leaving, and I will miss them very much. As a congregation, I can say that we respect the choices people have made, admire their energy, and wish them and Shirat HaNefesh nothing but the best now and in the future."

One Temple Shalom congregant, who is remaining at the Reform synagogue, but understands the reasons others left, described the departure of Tasat and Serotta as akin to a "three-way divorce," also involving Rabbi Michael Feshbach, Temple Shalom's senior rabbi. It wasn't difficult to tell from the bima that the relationship among them was strained, according to this congregant.

The congregant also said that the board's handling of the matter -- the board cited finances for its failure to renew Serotta's and Tasat's contracts -- angered many in the congregation. While Tasat's departure had been rumored in advance, congregants learned of Serotta's exit in a letter from the board. The news came as a complete surprise to most, said the congregant.

"I wonder if the board knows the breadth of the damage," said the congregant.

Temple Shalom has since hired a new cantor, Lisa Levine, to replace Tasat. Serotta has not been replaced.

As it searches for permanent home, Coleman said Shirat HaNefesh will hold Friday night and Saturday morning services throughout the summer at private residences in Chevy Chase and Silver Spring, with High Holiday services scheduled for Christ the King Church in Silver Spring.

Shirat HaNefesh is calling itself "transdenominational," which Serotta described as taking "the best from all the movements."

A press release announcing the congregation's creation stresses its openness to "traditional and non-traditional families," as well as to "non-Jews who seek the Jewish spiritual experience Shirat HaNefesh offers." Serotta said that primarily refers to members of interfaith families, but that the synagogue is open to anyone who wants to "walk on a Jewish path."

Silver Spring resident Coleman said Shirat HaNefesh will be funded primarily by membership dues, along with additional donations from some congregants. The annual membership fee, which includes High Holiday tickets, is $1,800 for a two-adult household, $900 for a one-adult household. Associate membership, for those who belong to other congregations, but also wish to join Shirat HaNefesh, is $360.

The congregation, which will have a religious school starting at kindergarten and b'nai mitzvah training, hopes to collaborate with another local synagogue on a post-bar mitzvah program as well. Officials declined the name that other synagogue.

Coleman also stressed that the congregation would be run from "the bottom up as opposed to the top down," with decisions made by "consensus."

Serotta, who also chairs Rabbis for Human Rights-North America, will bring a strong emphasis on tikkun olam, repairing the world, to the new shul. The rabbi said that will also include an emphasis on tikkun halev, or the repair of the individual heart, because one can't "do tikkun olam until they are spiritually connected as an individual."

"I want to work with individuals so they can be empowered to be strong participants in tikkun olam," he said.

Tasat, meanwhile, is forming an independent choir -- Kolot HaLev, or Voice of the Heart -- that will sing at the synagogue once a month on Shabbat, as well as on High Holidays and other special occasions. He anticipates about 40-50 members will participate, many of whom sang in the similar-sized choir he led at Temple Shalom.

The cantor stressed that the choir and the use of music generally in the congregation -- he also will sometimes use musical instruments during services -- is designed to bring congregants closer to the liturgy and to God, by getting them to "express themselves."

"It's not going to be like a show," said Tasat. For instance, he said that choir members will not sit together, but will be scattered throughout the room, the better to encourage other congregants to participate in the singing.

He likes that members of the congregation are not the kind of people who "show up and [say] 'Feed me' " spiritually, but instead want the clergy to guide them to find spiritually on their own.

And congregants seem excited to have Serotta and Tasat leading them.

Lynda Honberg of Rockville said each offers "qualities you don't see every day in clergy." Tasat "just speaks to my soul" with his music, while Serotta's focus on tikkun olam is "very important" to her and her husband, who both work at nonprofits.

"The combination of the two is unique," she said.

"I think that they kind of represent the best of Judaism," said Roanne Strahs, 53, of Chevy Chase. "Their spirituality, their knowledge ... is inspiring to me. ... I want to be part of their community."