Shaker Shalom at Hancock Shaker Village

Cultural correspondent Bess Hochstein reports: The Shaker City of Peace is one of the few places to actually find peace in the frenzy of the Berkshire summer. All the hustle and bustle of running to make the curtain for this or that cultural event fade away as soon as you pause to take in that perfectly framed pastoral view of tidy rows of crops, lazily grazing cows, and the iconic Round Stone Barn from the entrance to Hancock Shaker Village. So it was on Sunday, June 28, when 160 peace-seekers converged on Hancock Shaker Village to explore the commonalities between Shaker and Jewish traditions. Members of Pittsfield’s Congregation Knesset Israel and sundry Shaker scholars enjoyed performance of songs from both traditions in the Brick Dwelling, the Shaker songs delivered by the heavenly unaccompanied voice of mezzo-soprano Deborah Rentz-Moore -- an early music specialist – with Jewish liturgical music scholar Jeffrey Siegel, a lay cantor at Knesset Israel, belting out the Hebrew songs, thoughtfully providing handouts so the crowd could sing along. Fortunately the heavens ignored Siegel’s final offering, “Mayim, Mayim,” which he described as a Jewish rain song. The skies remained clear for the rest of the evening’s proceedings: a silent and live auction plus a splendid meal prepared by chef Michael Roller, served under the Village’s gala tent, illuminated by a rare-in-this-summer setting sun.

Palma Fleck and Eileen Young; Bill Mangiardi, director of farming & facilities at HSV, with Diane Vogt, whose husband, Bill Vogt, is the president of the HSV board of trustees.

HSV CEO Ellen Spear with Marty & Glenna Bloom; Joy Flint, whose husbandconducted the silent auction and runs Charles Flint Antiques in Lenox, with Elana Baum of Stockbridge.