In looking for a way to experience Jewish spirituality outside of a traditional service, Tali Levin followed an old adage: “The best product you create is the one you want.” This is how she started Koleinu, a new Twin Cities organization that celebrates contemporary Jewish living through communal singing.
Levin has been a songleader in the Twin Cities since 2017, starting in the children and family programming area and expanding to working with young adults.
“Since COVID, I had started hosting some micro-pockets of a similar alternative experience with young adults in my home,” she said. “I like creating programming from scratch and using music.”
Koleinu’s first community event, Sukkot in Harmony: Songs of Shelter and Abundance, will be held Oct. 12 at 11 a.m. in the West Metro Area. The location will be provided after online registration is accepted. The event, and Koleinu, is sponsored by the Young Adult Leadership Action MPLS Mini-Grant from the Minneapolis Jewish Federation.
Levin wasn’t sure how big she wanted Koleinu to become, but having attended the Hava NaShira songleader conference in the spring, it gave her the drive.
“I wasn’t sure if I was feeling brave enough to do it, but going to Hava NaShira and that gave me enough motivation to not only want to make it bigger to the bigger community, but then also to expand the musical ensemble,” she said.
Levin, as the songleader, will be the constant at events, and she plays guitar and ukulele. She’ll be joined – depending on the event – by a rotating cast of musicians.
Levin said that ideally, she’ll target major Jewish holidays to create events around.
“I would have loved to do it before Rosh Hashanah, but I’m learning it takes a while to create a business,” she said. “Sukkot was really the first one, but for sure, something for Hanukkah.
Levin was also invited to lead a Havdallah in November in partnership with the Twin Cities Jewish Renewal Community and YourJewish.
“The synagogues right now are busy with the High Holidays, so that will maybe come a little bit later,” she said, “But I have been tapping into a lot of great knowledge in the cities and even with colleagues from national song leaders that I know, so that’s actually been really helpful and nice.”
Levin said that she wanted the first event to be independent of other organizations as she’s building the Koleinu brand. For her, part of that starts with explaining what she hopes Koleinu can provide.
“A lot of people either crave moments of spirituality or connection, or maybe they will go out into nature and have that feeling of awe and wish there was an outlet in Judaism to do that,” she said. “And a lot of people actually don’t find that in Judaism, and then maybe turn to other practices, or just don’t do anything in the community. This can be that middle ground where it can explore like new ways to be Jewish.”
Levin also stressed that you don’t have to be a good singer to attend a song session.
“There’s no such thing as good singers; there are maybe untrained singers,” she said. “The point is not to be a choir. The point is to experience and create something together, and we need the people to be able to do that. This is not a performance. This is an experience that we’re creating together. We need the voices to create this powerful experience.
“This is not singing only for the sake of singing. We really do dive into what a song is actually saying Why are we choosing to sing this? There’s a lot of kavanah, intention, in what we’re doing.”
