“Many people say, 'I can't sing.' And, you know, they're right: They can't sing. But everyone can chant! It's like when you whistle along with an opera singer: In your own mind, you sound just as good as Maria Callas. And you do! So participate, even softly. Even if you only hear the vibration of your own humming.”

This is how Reb Drew will often begin one of his special evenings, an evening of music and song known as “Hebrew Kirtan.”

What is Kirtan?

Kirtan (also known as Bhajan) is a form of chant developed in India to heighten participation, communal feeling and ecstatic communion with the divine. It's main distinguishing feature is a formula of singing based on call-and-response. The chant facilitator offers something, then the participants return the favor. As Krishna Das likes to say, “I sing a line, then you sing a line.” This makes the chant easy to follow and learn.

Kirtan is fully participatory. It breaks down the barrier between “leader” and “listener.” This is not the Responsive Reading of your parents!

Most chants in a kirtan will begin softly, slowly and with deliberate concentration in order to build up the kavannah (intention). A phrase here, a phrase there. The words do not matter; the intonation and the resulting connection with the divine do. As the chant goes on, it will usually pick up in pace and volume. The excitement becomes rampant. Most everybody finds themselves swaying to the music at the very least; many discover a need to get up and move their bodies in sufi-like dance; others just as much find they need to close their eyes and simply listen. After some time, most chants will slow down and come to their natural conclusion. The generated perpetual motion returns home to stillness. Often a short moment of silent meditation follows. The accomplished chant continues to resonate in the emptiness – so much so that one is often not sure whether one isn't still singing!

Depending on the needs of the moment, the kirtan leader will break any and all of these “rules.” For example, when the meditation grows to an ecstatic pitch, it often just happens that everyone is singing continually; the call-and-response form has dropped away.

Hebrew Kirtan

Reb Drew and some friends have had the fortune to take part in Sanskrit kirtans led by inspired musicians such as Krishna Das, Wah!, Deva Premal and Miten, and others. It occurred to them that the kirtan form would work very well with the Hebrew language. Words flow and melt into one another. Changes effected by open vowels to make soft consonants render Hebrew wonderfully singable. And, as a matter of fact, several scientific studies have numbered Hebrew among one of a handful of “vibrational languages.” (Click here, for an example.) It seemed only natural to Reb Drew and others who had danced in synagogues and pounded more than a few Shabbat tables that Hebrew would work wonderfully in a kirtan framework. So, Hebrew Kirtan was born.

Difficulties Sometimes Initially Experienced with Kirtan

For some people – especially for those who, like Reb Drew, grew up in dry religious environments which were overly concerned with order and decorum – releasing into the kirtan form can prove a bit of a challenge. One of the things we are not used to is the length of the chant and the constant repetition. You sing the song, and then you move on – that, unfortunately, is the attitude in many religious services. At this point, it helps to remember that a kirtan is a meditation: the event and the immediate spiritual connection are far more important than which language or which words one chants. It is best to let go of what one knows from prior experience, leave any old baggage at the door, and be ready to release oneself into a new experience.

It also helps to keep in mind that kirtan is not about individuals singing; it's about the group, about letting go in public. In this way, it becomes a different form of prayer, of chant, of communion. One melds with the others and finds love and security there. What matters, so to speak, is what God hears – not how I sound!

Who can Participate?

Hebrew kirtan is for anyone who is open to it. Singer and non-singer alike. Jew and non-Jew. No knowledge of Hebrew is necessary. It's enough to know that one is chanting the names of God and praising the beauty of the world.

Reb Drew's Kirtans

Reb Drew's Hebrew kirtans tend to use niggunim and zemirot (tunes and songs) which already feel familiar - even if you've never heard them before! Reb Drew does not usually seat the Hebrew in Indian classical music. He uses the kirtan form – call and response – but prefers to utilize more traditional Jewish modes of notation. These are drawn from both European and Eastern sources, as well as from contemporary composers. He also tends to set the chants in non-Western modalities. The result is an effect which is both alluring and eerie, common but strange. Reb Drew plays a harmonium and uses it as a kind of movable background drone. He is often accompanied by a percussionist.

Along with the music, Reb Drew will often pepper a kirtan with helpful meditation techniques learned from his martial arts practice, along with short teachings which explain the source and meaning of the language.

(For more on the spirit of Reb Drew's kirtans see the About Page)

What You might Bring to a Kirtan

It is important to be as comfortable as possible at a kirtan. Depending on the venue, bring your own pillow or yoga mat, since most kirtans are floor-based. Chairs are always provided for those who prefer them. It is also a good idea to bring a bottle of drinking water but, please, no food. Sometimes a blanket is nice to have on hand.