A Psalm of David, And Matt and Yair and Elyssa.
Mizmor.

Why are our hearts filled with passion? And why are our hearts filled
with enthusiasm?
For a key we have discovered, and  a lock have we opened.
yay, the precious treasure has been buried
       the words of truth held captive from so many.
Yours, O Lord, is the treasure; the gift, the words of your mouth.
The sweet smelling treasure is a balm to the soul, it uplifts the
fallen and heals the sick.
Through it, justice raises its voice ahigh, and holiness whispers its sublimity
 From everlasting to everlasting. blessings flow from its fair scent
To uplift the heart of men, to bring wisdom to the minds of princes.

But the artisan now hearkens to the voice, turns her ear to the truth
of Your message.
With skillful hands she forms it, with a heart of knowledge she shapes it.
With words of wisdom she shares it.
Object joins intention, words soar from heart to heart, image and
sound kiss one another. Together they pierce souls. Joined as one they
touch profoundly.
Now your treasure, O Lord, now your words of pure gold, can shine
forth from  their treasurehouse.
Like the sun they can illumine the path of the stumbiling, like the
moon they can open the eyes of the blind.

Why are we excited within? And why are our hearts filled with enthusiasm
For a key we have discovered, and  a lock have we opened.
To share our discovery with others is our deepest desire.
To bring to the courtyards its beauty, to the streets its lovliness
To announce in jerusalem its message, that out of zion,  it can go
forth to the corners of the earth.

Behold the precious. ancient wisdom clothed in fresh, rich garments of
color and light, of texture and pattern, of sound and scent and taste,
of symbol and emblem, of openess and accesibilitiy.
it delights the eye, rejoices the ear, enlightens the mind and fills the heart.

This is Why are we excited within;
And this is why enthusiasm fills our hearts.

Because we believe so firmly in this mission, we have spent the past
two years devoting immense energy and time to fleshing out an
ambitious but feasible vision of how to bring this to reality. We have
imagined it, discussed it, refined it and created actual programs to
test it with a wide variety of groups.   The results are the proof
that this project is poised to have a profound impact on the Jewish
world.

Our key is poised to unleash the incredible potential of the arts, of
media, of creativity to clothe, to enhance, to transmit the eternal
messages of our people.
We are convinced we know how to do that.
The combined experience of the four of us has proven it, reliably,
repeatedly and powerfully beyond any doubt.
.
Like the artisan we have harkened to its voice.
Like a horse ready to run its course, like a hero before the battle
our muscles are strained, our bright eyes focussed, our full hearts throbbing.

To unleash the process we need you as our partners. We offer a unique
opportunity to be part of something that will be not just be another
tourist stop, not just another program, but a unique new
transformative movement in Jewish life.
 It will become a primary destination for every tourist to this land.
 It will become a place of meaning and beauty and sharing
for the inhabitants of this land.
It will be a place of comprehension for the non-Jews who want to
understand who we are.
We are convinced that it  will have vast implications for our people
and for the world.

As the magnificent Psalms of David  gave  poetic, artistic form to the
most fundamental Jewish ideas and spread their message to the entire
world, so can the creativity and art of today give form to these same
eternal values and transmit them in an unforgettable way to all who
hunger for them.

And may you say:
                             Amen

 
 
Yesterday the Kol HaOt team came together to launch a new full day program titled: "Ascending Through the Psalms". In the magical setting of Hutzot HaYotzer in Jerusalem, we were impressed by the scope of David’s international collection of Psalms, inspired by the work of Eliyahu Sidi on Ashrei, energized by a Psalm writing musical experience with Yehudah Katz, delighted by the biblical foods of Moshe Basson, immersed in an amazing hands-on project on literary and visual parallelism in Psalms and amazed by the depths of Psalm 8 with Shula Laderman.  Indeed, it was a day that wove together the visual, performing, and culinary arts.