My father, Rabbi Ezekiel N. Musleah, Congregation Mikveh Israel, 1975. Courtesy of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. Philadelphia, PA.

Music has always been my umbilical cord to my father. He carried our ancestry in his voice.

My father made many "formal" recordings to preserve our musical tradition. I tried never to lose an opportunity to record him in informal settings, especially when he would teach me the Baghdadi-Indian liturgy and songs, and when he would share his stories.

When my family moved to the United States in the summer of 1964, my father became the rabbi of Congregation Mikveh Israel, Philadelphia's historic Sephardic synagogue which dates to 1740. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur were imminent, and he had very little time to absorb the Spanish and Portuguese melodies. I remember him sitting with a clunky reel-to-reel tape recorder listening over and over to the voice of Reverend Leon Elmaleh, the hazzan emeritus. 

In the fifteen years we spent at Mikveh Israel, I came to love the elegant and glorious Spanish and Portuguese High Holiday nusah. Later, I learned many of the Baghdadi-Indian melodies for Selihot, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which pierce my heart with their direct and pleading eloquence.

Today, whenever I cook for Rosh Hashanah, I take out my old-school CD player and listen to my father’s High Holiday recordings according to the Calcutta tradition. It's a heartbreaking and healing ritual of my own making. As I prepare the apple maraba (jam), and the rest of the special foods for our seder yehi ratzon, each one symbolizing a wish for the new year, the scent of cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and rosewater embrace me along with his unwavering voice. Often, there's no escaping the tears.

This will be the sixth Rosh Hashanah without my father, yet in the recordings, he is as present as he was when he was alive. His voice is strong, emanating from his soul and creating healing energy. It comforts me even when it breaks me.

“Kiddush for Rosh Hashanah,” he announces, and chants the series of biblical verses in the mystical ritual that precedes the blessing over the wine.

"Tahel Shanah u-virkhoteha!" he concludes, the drama in his voice waking up my own soul like the sound of the shofar. Let the new year begin with all its blessings! 

I cannot replicate my father's voice, but I carry its blessings with me always.

Our inaugural tour of Vietnam and Cambodia was a resounding success!

Our group explored the breathtaking natural beauty of both countries, from river deltas and serene bays to dramatic mountain ranges. We enjoyed the bustle and lively charm of major cities—Hanoi in the north, Hoi An in the center, and Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in the south. The area's religious, cultural, and historic heritage came alive as we visited temples, pagodas, shrines, and museums. In some of its breathtaking vistas like meditative Ha Long Bay, we could almost forget the quagmire of world politics.

Several sites hold record-breaking status: the Ba Na Hills Cable Car, which holds several Guinness Book records, took us up a mountain top to a spectacular flower garden, the Golden Bridge, and a towering Buddha statue of almost 90 feet. Cambodia's Angkor Wat, a stunning fusion of symbolism and symmetry, is the largest religious monument in the world. Ta Prohm is famous for its awe-inspiring, tree-root-covered ruins (above).

Besides the region's Jewish history and personalities, we found unexpected and intriguing Jewish connections. In Siem Reap, we discovered an NGO established by a Jewish family that provides scholarships for over 100 high school and college-age students. The students who run the NGO spoke movingly about the profound impact of education on their lives.

And then there was the food! Even if I could share photos of every incredible feast we enjoyed in Vietnam and Cambodia, they would not do justice to the gastronomic adventure we savored. The cuisine is both traditional and inventive, layered with intriguing flavors, delicately and lovingly prepared, and beautifully presented. Buddhism encourages vegetarianism so vegetarian and vegan restaurants are plentiful, from simple village cafes to Michelin superstars—and we found the best of the best. We even enjoyed two superb cooking classes. I love the fact that "Chay" in Vietnamese means vegetarian! 

Join us for our next tour:
February 23-March 5, 2026
Learn more HERE
Register HERE