On Saturday mornings in synagogues around the world, Torah, the fundamental Jewish text, is chanted using traditional melodies. Written word - scripture - is transformed into Song. "Torah," Joshua Gettinger writes, "is deep ancient wisdom. Chant is the voice of that wisdom, perhaps its most primal voice.... Torah teaches survival strategies for the world of today, no less than for the world of its origins. It reaches out to the human spirit on many levels and through the use of all human faculties, in word but also in music. Chant adds layers of liveliness and emotional richness to text....It...

On Saturday mornings in synagogue Torah is chanted using traditional melodies. Scripture is transformed into Song. Listeners in every age can hear it with fresh ears, with their own ears. Dr. Gettinger, a rural family physician, advocates for an artistic presentation of Torah, aimed at making the weekly experience both pleasurable and powerful. Chant, both music and grammar, can also be an interpretive tool, providing insight into meaning, and enriching understanding. This guide will introduce the novice and general synagogue goer to the art of chant, while providing the skilled reader with...