Parshat Vayeira – Songs About Brit Milah and the Akeidah
One of my favorite singers is Yehuda Glanz, whose album Na’ale, which was released in 1993, has been one of my favorites since I was in high school.
The Songs of Parshat Lech Lecha – A Tribute to Dedi Graucher, z”l
In general, Dedi did a lot of chesed. While he was considered a chasidic singer, some of his songs are very Zionist and patriotic and talk about our zechus (right) to be in Eretz Yisrael – something we find less among other classical chasidic singers.
From The Shtetl to Shylock
Jewish actor Saul Rubinek talks about his role as a rabbi in the 2022 film Shttl and starring in the new Off-Broadway play in Brooklyn called Playing Shylock.
Songs For Parashat Noach
While many of the secular Israeli songs were influenced by the Bible and respected Jewish tradition, some of them were totally inappropriate and disrespectful, and made a mockery of our tradition.
Bereishit Inspiration
As we know, Hashem created the levana (moon) on the fourth day, and it’s also the subject of one of Avraham Fried’s songs. His album Bracha Vehatzlacha was released in 1995 and is one of my favorites.
8th Day: A Band of Brothers with Musical Yichus
For those of you who are hearing about them for the first time, run to YouTube or Spotify right after Havdalah. Your Chol HaMoed travels are going to be a lot of fun – their music and rhythm are very upbeat.
Cantor Colin Schachat: A South African-Born Sensation Creating a Family Legacy
When preparing for a performance, it’s very important to know how to choose a piece. It’s not enough for the cantor just to like the music. It has to be a piece that matches his voice.
Ki HaMitzvah – A Song About Teshuvah
Do not have any excuses. The Torah is not far away. You don’t have to reach the heavens or cross the ocean in order to learn Torah and do mitzvot.
Songs Of Return
The navi Yishayahu compares the return of Am Yisrael to Eretz Yisrael as doves who return to their home. The navi continues and describes how the gates of Israel will be open day and night for Jews to return home.
Cantor Moti Boyer: The Successor to Yossele Rosenblatt?
Moti used to listen to chazzanut for hours and try to analyze the pieces, to listen to the dynamics and understand their meaning.
A Tribute to the Classic Tunes – Don’t Mess with Tradition!
I’ll be very honest with you: This new trend of using different tunes for the High Holiday tefillot really ruins the davening for me.
Special Chazzanut Series: The Story of Cantor Yossi Schwartz
Yossi grew up in a musical house. His mother played accordion and used to sing with the kids every Shabbat. His grandfather on his father’s side was a ba’al tefillah. His grandfather’s brother was a cantor and knew the big cantors.
From Father To Son: Two Generations Of Hershtik Cantors
You’ll be surprised to hear that Netanel was not pushed by his father to be chazzan – it was all his choice. But chazzanut was a big part of his childhood.
The Playlist of Tu B’Av
The key to success is very simple: If you see someone you like, don’t be shy – approach her (or him), introduce yourself, be nice, and have a chat.
“Eli Tziyon” – The Melody Of Tisha B’Av
Where did this tune come from? Who composed it?
Dance and Trance
Music can generate curiosity. Once young people start to listen to this music often, they might start to look for the “original.” And if it sounds almost the same anyway, why not start listening here and there to more goyish music?
What is a DJ?
In some ways, in this column I’m kind of a DJ.
Nisht Gedaiget
The reason, by the way, that I didn’t really pay attention to the words all those years is because the melody is just so beautiful that I didn’t really care that I didn’t understand the words.
Motty’s Machshavot
When Motty returned to Israel from the trip, he continued to sing and play music at events, and sometimes used to sing the Hashgacha Pratit song, but with his own words. Instead of “hashgacha pratit,” he used to sing machshavot tovot, diburim tovim (positive thinking, positive speech).
Yehuda Leuchter Does Jewish Reggae
One day, his brother brought him a cassette of Bob Marley. It was the first time he had listened to Bob Marley, and from that moment he got connected to reggae music and started to make his own reggae. It’s kind of as if reggae chose him.
The Mamad Playlist
How many scary scenarios heard we heard in the last few years about the day Israel will have to attack Iran? It seemed to complicated, nearly impossible. But we must not forget that the main reason everything worked perfectly is just because of the hashgacha of Hashem.
Authenticity – The Music Of The Waterbury Mesivta
The yeshiva is all about authenticity and feeling, [being] real with yourself, Rabbi Wolf told me. When you have those thoughts, you think of real stuff, it generates inspiration, and the students share it with the world.
Wedding Season Music Trends
A lot more songs during dance sets are rock or electronic style, Mordy says. It used to be more freilach, but recently the music has more of a rock, electronic, and trance vibe.
The Yom Yerushalayim Playlist
As a teenager, we used to go on Yom Yerushalayim to the Rikud Degalim (March of Flags). The whole city filled with boys and girls dressed in blue and white holding flags of Israel in their hands, storming the streets with dancing, joy, and happiness, celebrating Yerushalayim.
The Music of Lag B’Omer
The beauty of klezmer music is that you don’t need to understand the language. Because there’s no language. It’s only music.
Mordy Weinstein – Not Just A Cappella
The first time Mordy started to sing was in high school. First, however, he learned how to play a guitar. Just because it was cool.
Yom HaZikaron And Yom HaAtzma’ut Music
Despite the controversy and arguments between the different groups, we always need to remember that – left, right, secular, religious, haredi, Ashkenazi, Sefaradi – we are still one nation, Am Yisrael.
B’Shetzef – He’s Just Turned Around
For years there was a controversy in Israel about the date of Yom HaShoah. The suggestion was for it to be on the day that the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising started.
Pesach Special: Young Musicians
I have a feeling that you’re going to hear about these two a lot in the future. They both grew up in very musical homes and music has been part of their lives since they were born.
Avigdor Gavish: Samaria Soul
As Avigdor puts it, from his father, he and his siblings got the military part, and from his mother the music part.