Our next guest, Gareth Sitz, is a retired theater and language teacher. She has acted extensively as well as directed, produced and written scripts. She has written many of her own songs. Currently she directs a troupe called Femmeprov. She is an active member of Congregation Kneseth Israel and enjoys singing in the choir. Her post made me chuckle. I remember being in Israel watching Woody Allen’s Bananas which includes the line “What do the Jews do when they get in trouble? They sing.” This morning I woke up singing some of the High Holiday liturgy and a song from Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. May all of your music for Yom Kippur bring you peace.

Singing is a meditative and peaceful act for me.   When I’m writing a song, I sing the words and melody over and over again. After I’m pretty happy with the lyrics, I’ll write them down, only to revise them over time. I’ll play with the melody as well, sometimes changing it completely. The process makes me unbearably happy and at peace.

Sometimes, a song I write makes me cry. I’ve been known to sing through my tears, like the time I wrote a soulful ballad about my childhood friend who was killed in a motorcycle accident when he was 17. I cried and I cried and I cried, cradling my guitar in my lap. Then, when the song was finally done and I typed the lyrics, I felt at peace.

At their very best, my songs reflect what’s in my heart, and in their very simplicity, they allow me to express my feelings on a deep level. Writing a song and singing it is one of the ways I take care of myself, a way I find peace.

In synagogue, while singing the prayers in a communal setting, I also find peace. No matter what’s going on in the world or in my personal life, I can let the familiar melodies carry me along, helping me to center myself in a peaceful place. I used to wonder why there was so much repetition in the services, until I was able to embrace the meditative aspect of the prayers and ritual. Each time I return to a familiar and comforting litany, it brings me peace to hear my own voice joining others, and I am filled with a sense of gratitude.

Gareth Sitz