Jews liken the oral and written tradition to an ever-living, ever-flourishing source of inspiration. The text of “Eitz Chayim” is always sung when returning the Torah scrolls to the ark, along with a prayer to “renew our days as of old.” The late composer, teacher and scholar Dr. Jack Gottlieb wrote his setting of it for the 1970 New Year’s Service for Young People and dedicated the piece to Cantor Barbara Ostfeld, the first woman to be ordained a cantor. I performed it at the end of my master’s recital in 2010 with the composer in attendance and offer it here at the end of this week, along with my prayer that we all find a sense of renewal in this new year.

“Eitz Chayim” (“Tree of Life”)