Services
Musicians in Residence
with JACOB'S LADDER
Truly immerse yourself in the soulful and immersive Americana, bluegrass and folksy sounds of Jacob's Ladder across an eclectic, community building, heart-opening weekend of music and prayer.
Our mission is simple: to strengthen and reinvigorate a sense of purpose, community, identity and home in Jewish communities through music and moving prayerful experiences. In a world of evolving, "living" Judaism, it is our hope that our music gives a sense of belonging to Jewish communities of all denominations through deeply spiritual song and communal prayer, rooted in our American soundscape, rich liturgy, and the Jewish musical modes and soul-clinching melodies that bind everything together.
With each residency, we hope to bridge the gap across communities, generating a sense of shared purpose and belonging through our music. But we also strive to lift up individual communities; each weekend we work closely with the Clergy team to uniquely tailor our offerings to encompass your organization's customs, traditions, and values.
We hope to have an ever-lasting impact on how American Jews think about prayer, music as a tool for communal growth and sustainability, and the power wordless melody (nigun) has in opening our hearts to each other as infinitely loving, open, kind, and compassionate souls.
We have had the distinct pleasure of playing dozens of residencies over the past 3 years across Reform, Renewal, Humanist, Reconstructionist, Traditional Egalitarian, Conservative, and Modern Orthodox communities across America and Canada. We'd love to make your community our next visit!
Jacob's Ladder Residency at Beth Ahm, Baltimore, 2024
Offerings
Thursday Evening
Meet and Sing
Get to know Ariel Wyner, band leader and music director of Jacob's Ladder, in an intimate setting. We generally like to do these gatherings in smaller rooms and a small, intimate audience. We recommend chapels, synagogue lounges, or even private homes. We will often bring "shirons", or song sheets to help teach some of our music. That way, when the weekend rolls along, we will have had the opportunity to teach our music to members of the community!
In the past, we have combined this evening with a workshop or a choir rehearsal to prepare the singers for the weekend. We can include up to 4 pieces for an SATB choir to teach for the weekend. It's a lovely way to begin a residency- we definitely recommend including this offering!
Friday Evening Service
Friday evenings with Jacob's Ladder may vary depending on your congregation, denomination, etc. We have experience in virtually every flavor of davening, from reform style, to traditional, egalitarian, renewal, and modern orthodox. Regardless of your customs in liturgy, we provide everything from a fully immersive, intentional musical service with pre-selected prayers to traditional (no instruments) and everything in between. We believe in crafting an experience that feels both fresh and familiar to your congregation, with lots of singing opportunities and community participation.
Q + A Panel with the Band
Want to know more about the band, their background, how they met, musical influences, and style? A Q+A format is a great platform to learn more about Jacob's Ladder, how they think about American Jewish music, their thoughts on the intersection of tefilah and music, and how it reflects our culture today. In the past, this has been geared towards adults and is frequently paired with lunch after Shabbat services or on Shabbat afternoon.
Musical Kids Program
This 45 minute kids program is great to plug right into your communities religious, hebrew or Shabbat schools. Great for all ages, but especially targeted towards kids between the ages of 5-11. We'll pray, learn about how to access the liturgy, move a bit, and sing a lot!
Music and Tefillah Workshops
Geared towards both the musically inclined and curious community members of all ages, we love engaging with our musical and tefilah oriented workshops!
Some of the workshops we have done in the past are:
-
Finding Harmony in Prayer
-
Diving into the Jewish modes of prayer
-
Introducing New Melodies into a Service
-
Song leader Workshop: Exploring Grooves, Dynamics, and Uplifting Your Community with Instruments
Musical Shabbat Morning Musaf Service
Led by band leader Ariel Wyner. Ariel is a highly trained Shaliach Tzibur, and leads services typically found in a traditional, Conservative, or an Orthodox setting. Sung A Capella (no instruments), Ariel provides soulful davening, select original melodies and settings, with elements of cantorial nusach and communal song interspersed. Hear Ariel's drash on communal prayer and closeness preceding the Musaf service.
We can include instruments and provide a more innovative non-traditional experience upon request.
Havdalah and Concert
Conclude Shabbat with Jacob's Ladder in concert! Whether or not you would prefer to do the concert "in the round" or front facing, Jacob's Ladder brings an unforgettable, highly participatory concert that will undoubtedly lift you off your feet. Contact us about pricing for the full band, as well as for pricing for standalone concerts, offered typically on Thursday through Sunday.