El Adon: Mastering Many Tunes

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by

Scott Goldstein
in

Welcome to our Feb. 12, 2026 Kulanu gathering recap. We had a good mix of learning, big-picture planning, and practical discussion about how we lead.

We began by introducing the idea of integrating niggunim, wordless tunes, into our gathering formula. The goal is to build a repertoire of melodies that become “ours,” and use them as a soft way to arrive together and settle in. Not a performance. Not something polished. Just a shared on-ramp into the space before we begin the more structured work.

From there, we stepped back and did a high-level “back to basics” overview of how our structured tefillah and siddur evolved over time — from Temple service, through exile, early synagogue development, rabbinic formalization, and the early siddurim. The intention was not to turn this into a history class, but to give ourselves a shared map. When we understand the architecture of the service, we lead it differently.

We named a simple working framework for the service sections: preparation (Birkot HaShachar and Korbanot), praise (Pesukei d’Zimra), covenant (Shema and its blessings), encounter (Amidah), public Torah, additional sanctity (Musaf), and conclusion (Aleinu and the closing liturgy). Along the way we clarified a few important points — including the idea of Korbanot as recitation and study when the original practice is no longer available, and the origins of the Amidah repetition and communal response, particularly for those who arrive late or cannot read. These details matter because they shape how we understand communal responsibility.

We also revisited the broader vision of Kulanu as a community of practice. Our primary focus is supporting each other as service leaders. At the same time, we may eventually “give back” to the broader congregation through occasional learning opportunities — perhaps an expanded lunch-and-learn on siddur structure, nusach basics, or a guided explanation of “what’s happening in this part of the service and why.” No commitments yet. Just a recognition that leadership can extend beyond the bimah.

A central theme of the evening was engagement. There is a real appetite not only to lead competently, but to understand why we say what we say when we say it — and what differentiates prayers that can feel repetitive at first glance. We named the tension between maintaining pace and facilitating meaning. Services cannot expand indefinitely. At the same time, small, well-placed explanations can deepen engagement without turning prayer into a seminar.

Music surfaced as one of the most practical entry points. Ashrei served as a concrete example: one melody resonates for one person; another melody opens it for someone else. Expanding our repertoire is not about novelty. It is about access.

We also explored a short text describing the prayer leader who “goes down before the ark” and “stands among the people”:

בַּשַּׁחַר כָּל הָעָם יוֹשְׁבִים וּשְׁלִיחַ צִבּוּר יוֹרֵד לִפְנֵי הַתֵּבָה וְעוֹמֵד בְּאֶמְצַע הָעָם וּמַתְחִיל

At Shaharit, the whole community is seated, and the prayer leader goes down before the ark, and stands among the people, and begins.

— Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot Tefillah 9:1

We reflected on what this implies about the Sha”tz being part of the community rather than above it, while also bearing responsibility to serve, set pace, and hold the room. “Going down” evokes humility. At the same time, the leader must “begin.” There is an inherent balance between chutzpah and humility, and between performance and leadership. Anyone who has stood at the amud knows that tension.

We concluded with musical sharing focused on El Adon. El Adon can be challenging conceptually, given its mystical language and imagery. Melody can make it accessible. Nusach provides the foundation. Within that framework, familiar tunes can serve as effective mechanisms for participation, including borrowing motifs from other contexts when it genuinely serves the kahal. We sang through several options and experienced how each one shifted the room. Some fun tunes that we didn’t get to but shared via email include:

For those interested in exploring further, Hadar’s Tefilla Recordings website offers an excellent collection of El Adon melodies. You can also find many by simply searching “El Adon” on your preferred music streaming platform. Listen with intention: which melodies would genuinely invite the congregation in?

Mastering many tunes is not about showing range. It is about having tools — and knowing when to use them.