In an effort to promote peace through harmony, more than 100 faith leaders came together this fall to produce an interfaith, multiracial video that unites the voices of Black and Jewish prayer leaders from around the world. The Cantors Assembly, an international membership group of Jewish clergy, came up with the idea for the “Voices for Change” video as a way to build bridges among the Black and Jewish communities through music following the murder of George Floyd by police violence in May.
The song “Total Praise,” written by African American gospel artist Richard Smallwood, was sung individually by a group of cantors and Black prayer leaders and integrated into a 3 ½ minute video that is being used to promote peaceful healing while simultaneously benefiting music-related scholarships for the Afro-American Music Institute. “Total Praise” is based on Psalm 121 and is a well-known anthem to many in the Black community. The Grammy-award winning Smallwood served as conductor for the video. (See lyrics at the end of this article.)
Watch the video here.
“I am honored and humbled to be a part of this amazing collaboration. To direct my composition Total Praise that features my Jewish and African American brothers and sisters standing together in solidarity is something of which I am immensely proud,” Smallwood said. “I pray that this will help to inspire, encourage and bring healing to all people everywhere.”
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“Total Praise” was originally composed in 1996 and promoted faith and healing. “We can all lean in on faith and music to heal,” said Hazzan Alisa Pomerantz-Boro, immediate past president of the Cantors Assembly, who thought of the idea. Hazzan, the Hebrew word for cantor, literally translates as “visionary” and cantors are ordained as fully functioning clergy. In addition to leading worship services, cantors perform all life cycle events, teach, counsel, do pastoral work, and use music and prayer to bring people close.
“We believe in the power of music to elevate and transform, so that people of all ages will feel more deeply connected to one another, to God and to their own sense of purpose,” said Pomerantz-Boro.
Eliezer Katzoff of Stormport Productions served as video producer to create the video with voices from people in the United States, Canada, Uruguay and Israel.
This is believed to be the first time that Jewish and Black music ministers have come together for a collaborative video production. Pastor Eric Manning of Charleston, South Carolina, and Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey Myers of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, introduce the musical piece with a brief discussion about why faith is now more important than ever.
The video can also be viewed on the Cantors Assembly website and its Facebook page.
Members of all faith groups are asked to share in the spirit of this video and to consider making a donation to support the Afro-American Music Institute (AAMI), which has several scholarship funds that provides musical opportunities for young Black musicians as well as residents living in senior centers. The scholarship for AAMI will specifically benefit the Boys’ Choir and provide programming for seniors. To donate to the Afro-American Music Institute, go to www.afroamericanmusic.org/scholarships.
“We want to show solidarity and support with our Black brothers and sisters and believe our voices can be used to create positive change in the world. Music is more important than ever,” said Myers, who has served as the rabbi and cantor for the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh since the summer of 2017.
“Music has a way of bringing different communities together, providing healing and encouragement to communities that had suffered trauma,” said Manning, pastor of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C. “With our communities coming together to sing total praise, we celebrate our ‘oneness,’ the fact that there is more that unites us than divides us and that our combined histories are interwoven together.”
Within days of the Oct. 27, 2019 attack at Tree of Life that killed 11 worshippers, Manning (whose congregation experienced its own tragedy in 2015 with the murder of nine worshippers) reached out to Myers and the two have since become friends, continuing to inspire and provide strength to one another. The two faith leaders follow the video performance of “Total Praise” with a pre-recorded conversation on issues of faith, race,Rab and actions needed to forge better relationships.
Lyrics to “Total Praise”
Lord, I will lift mine eyes to the hills
Knowing my health is coming from You
Your peace You give me in times of the storm
You are the source of my strength, Hallelujah
And You are the strength of my life, yes You are
I lift my hands in total praise to You
Lord, I will lift mine eyes to the hills
Knowing my health is coming from You
Your peace, You give me in times of the storm
You are the source of my strength
You are the strength of my life
I lift my hands in total praise to You
You are the source of my strength
You are the strength of my life
I lift my hands in total praise to
Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen
You are the source of my strength
You are the strength of my life
Songwriter: Richard Lee Smallwood
Total Praise lyrics © T. Autumn Music, Bridge Building Music Inc.
