On Sunday night and Monday morning, the Brooklyn Bowl in New York welcomed in the Jewish new year (5783) with Rosh Hashanah services, spiritual music from an eclectic lineup of cantors and musicians, a revisitation of Jeremiah Lockwood’s Hidden Melodies 15 and musical video contributions from friends and artists from around the world.

The event on Sunday began with a welcome by Rabbi Daniel Brenner, who joyously said Shehecheyanu, a prayer said to celebrate special occasions. The service then proceeded with beautiful musical accompaniment by musical director Jeremiah Lockwood, Antibalas’ Jordan McLean, Yula Be’eri, John Bollinger, Stuart Bogie, Antibalas’ Timothy Allen, and Yusuke Yamamoto. Highlights included Barechu (a call to prayer) by Lockwood and Be’eri, a solo piece by Bogie, a meditation coupled with the gentle musical stylings by McLean and Amir Ziv, a stunning Oseh Shalom (a prayer for peace) led by Be’eri, a jovial performance by special guest Lenny K who performed “My Yiddishe Momme” and a reimagining of psalm 23 and a wonderful blasting of the shofar with Rabbi Brenner speaking Hebrew while his son showcased his embouchure the ram’s horn, and much more. After the service, Relix‘s Mike Greenhaus detailed what guests had to look forward to for the rest of the evening.

The musical celebration following the service was centered around Lockwood’s Hidden Melodies Revealed 15, a hybrid concert, theatrical experience, and ritual performance that brought khazones – the Eastern European Jewish tradition of liturgical music – into the mainstream. The performance included showings of The Akeidah by Shawn Atkins and Scenes From the Life of Ben Zion Kapov Kagan by Andrea Dezsö, during which legendary actress and luminary Debra Winger provided narration underscored by a string ensemble led by Jake Shulman-Ment, along with stunning vocal solo arrangments by Shahanna McKinney-Baldon and Yoel Kohn. Hidden Melodies Revealed 15 also featured musical accompaniment by The Sway Machinery, whose current lineup is comprised of the aforementioned Lockwood (guitar and vocals), Be’eri (bass and vocals), Bollinger (drums), Bogie (tenor saxophone) and McLean (trumpet) along with special guest Yamamoto (organ). The video contributions for the evening included Zach Tenorio Miller sharing a calming piano composition along with live video from Vulfpeck founder Jack Stratton’s klezmer ensemble Yiddishe Pirat.

The next morning was started with a video from Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band along with Mark Levy, who performed Samson & Delilah in Hebrew, which was followed by a clip of Phish’s Mike Gordon and his daughter Tessa who performed “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav” marking the first time a member of Phish has performed the song since 1994. The four-hour gathering then began and, like the night before, featured prayers, stories, meditations and songs. Highlights included Elvis Perkins covering Leonard Cohen’s “Who By Fire,” an appearance by Leslie Mendelson, and a closing set of spiritual music by Armo, a collective of members of Antibalas. Additional videos shared Monday included an instrumental by Karina Rykman and Isaac Slone and a happy Rosh Hashanah cover of Bob Dylan’s “The Man in Me” by Eric Krasno.

Because Jewish will host Kol Nidrei and Yom Kippur later this week.

Learn more about Because Jewish here.

Both service videos can be streamed in their entirety and seen below.