As the son of a Reform cantor, Noah Aronson grew up around the synagogue and listening to his father sing. He loved music, but he never thought he would make Jewish music a career. That happened quite by accident.
Aronson is described as an energetic and soulful composer and performer whose unique musical style propels his music into communities across the country and in Israel. One of those communities is right here at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah. He is helping the Reform congregation redefine its music as part of the Tefillah Team project. He will sing at B’nai Jehudah for the second time as part of the Tefillah Team, and the third time since this summer, at Shabbat Chadash on Friday evening, Feb. 17. Erev Shabbat services begin at 6 p.m. in the chapel.
Aronson was raised in South Orange, N.J. His career in Jewish music began while he was studying piano and jazz composition at Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2004. He started teaching music at Sunday school at Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley, Mass., for extra money.
The cantor at Beth Elohim knew Aronson’s father, Cantor Ted Aronson, (who is retiring after 45 years at the same congregation, Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel, this year). So he decided to approach the younger Aronson about writing some music for Beth Elohim. That was something he had never really done before.
“In fact I had never really listened to much Jewish music. I didn’t get much enjoyment out of listening to Jewish music. I enjoyed singing in my choir in high school and enjoyed it when my father sang in synagogue and in camp, but I don’t think I ever bought a CD of Jewish music and listened to it on my own,” Noah Aronson said.
He took on the challenge, saying when he wrote the music for the synagogue, he didn’t pull from any Jewish influences.
“I pulled from many different popular American influences,” he explained.
One thing led to another and he eventually created a whole musical service for Beth Elohim, which the congregation uses today. He continues to serve the congregation as its artist-in-residence.
He enjoyed the process and today teaches and composes a wide-array of new liturgical works, “spreading the music out to cantors’ conferences and other national conferences as well as the cantorial school at Hebrew Union College.
Aronson released his first entirely Jewish solo album in May 2011 and the title song, “Am I Awake,” was a winner in the New Voices Song Competition. He is a founding member of the Jewish artist’s collective NuRootz as well as a member of the highly acclaimed Jewish A Capella group Six13.
In addition to his Jewish music, Aronson is a singer/songwriter and musical theatre composer. Currently enrolled in the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop, he is in the midst of composing an original musical entitled “The Playhouse” with collaborator George Merrick and is developing a musical Web series entitled “Connections” with Patrick Gallagher.
Working with B’nai Jehudah
Aronson connected with Rabbi Arthur Nemitoff and Congregation B’nai Jehudah about six months ago. He came here last summer and conducted a camp-style Shabbat for the Reform congregation. He and Rabbi Nemitoff also discussed Aronson’s ideas about where Reform Jewish worship was going and, in particular, what Aronson was doing.
“Rabbi Nemitoff was attracted to the idea that a synagogue under the leadership of one person, like me, could actually develop a unique voice, a unique sound, so that whenever you walk into that place you instantly know you are in that place,” Aronson said.
As Rabbi Nemitoff developed the Tefillah Team idea for B’nai Jehudah, Aronson came on board to breathe life into the texts that have been used for thousands of years and give them modern relevance. His innovations are among other ideas being introduced to the congregation during the Tefillah Team project where members can get a sense, and have a say, in what they envision prayer to be at B’nai Jehudah.
Over the past 10 years or so, Aronson believes the Reform movement has leaned heavily toward turning all prayers into songs. He said that has the potential to be very beautiful, but he doesn’t necessarily agree with that trend.
“I strive to try to keep one cohesive flow and remind people that even though these are beautiful songs, more importantly they are prayers and weave into one another as we ostensibly try to elevate the congregation.”
“My intention when I write is the individual prayers themselves are lovely, but each one is supposed to lift you closer and closer (to God). That is my personal stamp on what I am trying to do,” he said.
Aronson has enjoyed working with Rabbi Nemitoff.
“He is probably one of the most innovative rabbis I’ve worked with. His constant insistence in doing what he thinks and what he knows is best for his community is truly something to be admired,” Aronson said.
Rabbi Arthur Nemitoff enjoys working with Aronson as well, as do clergy at congregations he has assisted in one way or another. Popular Jewish musicians such as Craig Taubman and Dan Nichols have nice things to say about Aronson’s work as well.
“Noah Aronson is writing some of the most sensitive, sophisticated, and welcoming Jewish music I have heard in a long time. I feel strongly that Noah’s creative voice will resonate for years to come throughout the liberal Jewish world,” Nichols said.