Let’s go up: singing and dancing toward Shavuoth        Siewan 5768/ June 2008

Seasons of beauty
Each season has its own special beauty and color. I like springtime very much because of  the expanding flowers and trees. But most of all I love the Feasts. At the end of the winter I look with expectation to Pesach, Yom HaBiekoeriem, during the Feast of unleavened bread when we celebrate the resurrection of Messiah Yeshua.
At the end of Pesach we celebrate the harvest of barley and start counting the Omer. At Shavuoth we celebrate the beginning of the harvest of wheat. You can read more about these Feasts in Leviticus 23, Deuteronomium 8, 16, en 26. Shavuoth is also called the Feast of the First One. These Feasts are harvest celebrations.

Counting the Omer
When we count the Omer, we look forward to:
The fruit, harvest of the land Deut 8:8, Psalm 85.
The restoration and unity of the land and nation Israel Deut 8:1, 7.
We desire also the restoration and unity in our kehille. In my case this is Beth- Yeshua in Amsterdam. Unity in marriages and families, etc.
We are longing like our ancestors: ‘allow our eyes to see Your compassionate return to Zion’ and ‘All that we need is to raise up our lifes from the dead’. Ezechiel 37.
To be fruitfull before and through HaShem, to serve HaShem with joy, love and worship Him. We also want to be obedient to the Torah, for because of this we will find our destination and Jewish identity in Yeshua.

We count the Omer for example to remove weeds in our lifes and receive the living water from Adonai. Certainly we receive only the fruit of HaShem. In Maleachi 3:10, we give the first fruits of the harvest back to HaShem and in Deut. 16: 10,16 ‘And you shall rejoice for all the goodness which HaShem your G-d has given to you and your household’.
Psalm 122 ‘I was happy when they said to me, let us go to the House of HaShem’.

Dancing and rejoicing because of haShem
I’m so encouraged (and a little bit jealous) by the testemonies of our ancestors, because they got up for Shavuot with singing and dancing to the Temple in Zion! O how great are your tents O Jacob, and your dwelling places Israel! Numbers 24:5 How blessed are those who dwell in your house, may they always praise you. Psalm 84:5 May HaShem rebuild soon in our days His Temple in the holy city Jeroeshalajiem and may HaShem speedily establish the throne of Your servant David within in. Psalm 89: 16-30

Let us go up with rejoicing and praises to worship the King of Israel, to be thankful of the harv and to be fruitfull in His Kingdom. Be glad because the joy of HaShem vibrates and sparkles in our bodies. Then full of joy, you can’t still sit down on a chair at the services. Examine the psalms because they encourage you to worhip HaShem. For example psalm 47 Clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to G-d with cries of joy! For HaShem is awesome, a great King over all the earth. Psalm 68:4-11 Let the righteous rejoice and be glad in G-ds presence, yes let them exalt and rejoice. Psalm 100 Shout for joy to HaShem, all the earth. Serve HaShem with gladness. Enter His presence with joyful songs.

Each year in the service of Shavuot we have a tradtition in which children and adults, men and women  dance a special dance in our kehille. I would like to share with you a special joyfull dance called ‘Roni bat Tsion’. Zephaniah 3:14-16 Sing, daugher of Tsion! Shout Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, daughter of Jeroeshalayiem! HaShem has removed the judgements against you, He has expelled your enemy; the King of Israel, Adonai, is right there with you. You no longer need to fear that anything bad happen. On that day, it will be said to Jeroeshalayiem ‘do not fear Zion! Don’t let your hands droop down’. The choreography is developed by Helen Wilson with some adaptions made by dance team Beth-Yeshua. The song is written by David and Lisa Loden. The song Roni bat Tsion is available also on recording: Hoej’dot  1 www.beth-yeshua.nl/haor

Chag sameach and shalom,
by Caroline Maas,
Dance leader in Beth Yeshua, Amsterdam
                                                    ----------------------

Dance: Roni Bat Tzion
Music by David and Lisa Loden
Choreography: Helen Weiner Wilson
Words: from Zephaniah 3:14-16
Song available on recording: Jerusalem Arise by Paul Wilbur
Questions:
Contact the choreographer by e-mail at helenwwilson@juno.com or by phone at 215-473-6199

Dance Specifications:4/4 time
chorus: 8 measures, sometimes repeated
each verse: 8 measures

Explanatory notes:
Each line of words represents one musical measure.
Boldface syllable represents downbeat of measure. ` indicates downbeat precedes first syllable of first word.
RF and LF refer to right and left feet respectively; R and L generally refer to the direction of movement.
Coupé as used on this sheet is 2 beats: cross leading foot in front of other foot; then other foot steps back in place.

(chorus) (Holding hands, facing & moving left [cw] until turn/coupé sequence;
drop hands for turn/coupe sequences)

Ro-ni ro-ni R-hop, L-hop
` bat Tzion (RF leading) Run 4 steps
` Ha-ri-u R-hop, L-hop
` Yis-ra-el (RF leading) Run 2 steps, do 1/2 Tcherkessia (RF forward LF back)

Sim-chi b’al-zi (A) (RF leading) 3-pt turn to R (end facing center),
LF steps across in front of RF (Left arm crosses in front of body as LF crosses)
` b’kol lev (B) RF steps back in place behind LF, LF steps to side, RF leads coupé to L.
(Right arm crosses in front of body as RF crosses in coupé)
` bat Ye-ru-sha lay- Repeat (A)
im Repeat (B)

(verse) (facing center, not holding hands)

` He-sir ha- Brush RF forward; hop on LF; RF step back; LF step back next to RF
Shem mish-pa-tay-ich (moving forward into center) R-hop, L-hop
` pi-nah oy- R-Yem.-hop
(Use first step of Yem. to start getting back out from the center of the circle)
vech L Yem.-hop
(Use first step of Yem. to finish getting back out from the center of the circle)
` Me-lech Yis-ra-el (C): Leap from LF to RF; (Left arm “leaps” from L to R as you leap)
  LF step across in front of RF;
 RF step to side; slide LF next to RF (keeping weight on RF)
` A-do-nai (D): LF step to side (clap as you step); RF slide next to LF
(transferring weight onto RF);
LF step to side (clap as you step); RF slide next to LF (keeping weight on LF)
` b’kir-bech Repeat (C)
`al-tir-ai Repeat (D)