Boulder Jewish News Arts, Culture, Events, Lifestyles, Holidays, Synagogues, Education
Akiva The Believer is coming! On Saturday, July 24 at 9:30 pm at Bonai Shalom, Akiva Wharton, master percussionist, will lead a Havdalah Drum Circle.
We will start with the meditative wistful rhythms of the end of Shabbat and slowly raise the heat until we find ourselves lifted into the joyful ecstatic patterns of collaborative world beats,” Akiva says. “We will be back in the secular energy of the six days of the week. The evening will be spiritual but not religious. Bring a drum or other percussion instruments. Beginners are welcome. Dancers are really welcome!”
Akiva teaches workshops in Holy Drumming in synagogues and retreats around the country and abroad. He received smicha (ordination) from Reb Zalman Schachter Shalomi as “Commander of the Drum” in 2009. Akiva will be in town to celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of one of his Holy Drumming students, Ben Spitz, the youngest student in the “Holy Drumming Institute” .
Ben is part of the first cohort of the “Holy Drumming Institute“, a two-year program for drummers who want to play in Jewish services. Held at the spiritual retreat center in the Berkshires of Connecticut called Elat Chayyim, 18 students have come from as far away as England and California to study with Akiva and a rotating staff of world class drummers.
Akiva is recording his first CD, “The Rhythm of G!d” and finishing his first book, “Holy Drumming: A manual for any drummer who wishes to accompany people at prayer.” Join Akiva and friends at Bonai Shalom at 9:30pm July 24th for a unique and exciting havdalah you’ll always remember. Bonai Shalom is located at 1527 Cherryvale Rd.
