When Steven Spielberg recited the blessings over the Torah at his son Theo’s bar mitzvah, there was no need for the movie producer to audition a Baal Koreh (Torah reader) to perform the task flawlessly. Next to him stood Jay Braun, perhaps the most accomplished and talented Torah reader in the country and beyond.
This week, Beth Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills, where the Spielberg bar mitzvah took place, announced that Jay was stepping aside after 50 years as the synagogue’s official Torah reader to make room for the next generation of Torah readers. On Shabbat, April 24, Jay will read the Torah portion for the last time in his official capacity. “But don’t get me wrong,” Jay was quick to note to the Journal, “I will continue to be available when needed and look forward to mentoring the many other talented Torah readers the synagogue and city is blessed to have.”
Jay’s story is remarkable in that he honed his masterful Torah reading skills right here in Los Angeles, at a time when the Jewish community was much smaller and Jewish education was in its infancy. As a third grader, Jay and his family moved from Brooklyn and settled in Pico-Robertson, where he attended Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy and then Rambam Torah Institute for high school (the precursor to YULA). With only three Orthodox synagogues in the area, it was fortuitous that they found themselves at Beth Jacob. “When I first walked in, I was awestruck to see a choir on stage,” Jay remembered. “They all wore beautiful blue robes and were led by synagogue Cantor Binyamin Glickman. I immediately knew I wanted to be on that stage, and before long, I was.”
Cantor Glickman encouraged Jay and a few other boys to develop Torah reading skills, which entailed learning the very precise — and rather difficult — Ashkenazi melodies that accompany every word in the Torah. “I just took to it and worked hard to assure that the inflection of every word and every melodic emphasis is done correctly.”
When it came time for Jay to prepare for his bar mitzvah, he taught himself his Torah reading. From then on, Jay served as one of the ad hoc Torah readers at Beth Jacob. Shortly thereafter, the board made it official.
At 21 Jay married his wife Esther, and soon thereafter they had a son Yoni. After receiving his MBA from UCLA, Jay landed a job at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL,) where he continues to work as a software systems engineer. With a steady income, he decided he no longer needed the stipend the synagogue paid him. He offered his services pro bono, and has continued to do so ever since.
Over the 50 years, Jay estimates he has read about 2,400 Torah portions, in addition to renditions of the five annual megillot(scrolls), each receiving the preparation it requires and deserves. One would think that by now Jay would know every word and melodic nuance by heart, but he still prepares. “I review each portion at least four times during the week just to refresh my memory and minimize the possibility of any mistakes,” he said.
During his travels for work, Jay sometimes finds himself in a city with a synagogue in need of a Torah reader for that Shabbat. When that happens, Jay will often volunteer his services. He has read the Torah in synagogues in Washington, D.C., Kansas, Virginia and in the Chabad synagogue in Seoul, South Korea. “I guess that officially makes me a ‘Baal Korea’,” Jay quipped.
He has read the Torah in synagogues in Washington, D.C., Kansas, Virginia and in the Chabad synagogue in Seoul, South Korea.
Celebrities and renown Judaic luminaries have also experienced Jay’s Torah skills. “I was fortunate to read the Torah standing next to Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, as well as Elie Wiesel,” Jay recalled with some emotion. “Elie Wiesel recited the blessings with such heartfelt conviction that I myself became extremely emotional.”
“Words cannot express the profound gratitude we have to Jay for inspiring our kehilla (congregation) and raising the banner of Torah all these years.” Beth Jacob Senior Rabbi Kalman Topp said. “He is truly a Beth Jacob icon and has become synonymous with the Shul.”
In 2019 Jay began noticing some difficulties with his voice. He found himself straining to complete the weekly portion without hoarseness. “Reading the Torah correctly is necessary, but it also helps to have a pleasant and melodic voice,” Jay said. It was then he sought support from a professional voice coach who helped him get back on track. “The voice coach was great,” he said. “She helped a lot, and I was able to regain confidence in my vocal abilities.”
But then another challenge gradually crept in. With so many pronunciations and nuances to remember in each Torah reading, he found that he didn’t feel as sharp as he would have preferred. “While most people probably didn’t notice that I may have used the wrong melodic tone when chanting a word, I noticed,” Jay said. “It was then I made the difficult decision to step aside and let others experience the intrinsic reward of chanting from the Torah on a regular basis [as] I did virtually my entire life.”
While the synagogue has a number of dedicated Torah readers, will Beth Jacob seek a new official Torah reader for the main sanctuary? “Jay is irreplaceable, so we will not be ‘replacing’ Jay with a permanent Baal Koreh at this time,” Beth Jacob President Jonathan Stern said.
“Although I have spent thousands of hours preparing my Torah readings all these years, I don’t regret one minute,” Jay said. “Thankfully I am in good health, have a great career, a wonderful wife, son and grandchildren to keep me busy. I now will have the luxury to sit back and enjoy listening to others read from the Torah. I am looking forward to that.”
Harvey Farr is a local community reporter for the Jewish Journal.
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