This song is a bit of a paradox. It’s a Nigun with words. The paradox is that Nigun (plural Nigunim) is a style of Jewish music that has no words. So a Nigun with words is a bit of a paradoxical concept. Having said that, this Nigun has only four words: ora, nora, yisa, and […]
Albums
Soul Love- A Nefesh Mountain Love Letter
This week I had the delightful joy of hanging out with Nefesh Mountain. If you haven’t heard of, or better yet, heard, Nefesh Mountain– it’s time to love up your ears. Once you’ve done that, this love letter will make more sense. After all, aren’t love letters all about making sense? Over the summer, in […]
Mi Yimaleil, A New Chanukah Melody
I’m very proud of this version of Mi Yimaleil that I wrote and which will be released on an upcoming Davis Academy/Hello, Goodbye, & Peace album. Mi Yimaleil emphasizes the heroism of the Maccabees in their struggle against the Greeks during the time of the Chanukah story. While the Maccabees left a complex legacy that […]
Sukkot, Music to My Ears
I’m glad I don’t have to choose a favorite holiday. I can love Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. I can love Shavuot and Sukkot. But every year, when Sukkot arrives, it is literally, music to my ears. When I think of Sukkot I think of beautiful weather. I think of hanging out in a Sukkah with family and friends. I […]
L’chah Dodi
One of my more “popular” Jewish liturgical settings is a melody I wrote to the medieval hymn, L’chah Dodi. L’chah Dodi is sung during Kabbalat Shabbat, the Friday night prayer service that welcomes Shabbat. It describes two companions going out to greet the Sabbath Bride. The words were written in the city of Tzfat, birthplace […]
Today, if only we could hear
Of all the songs I’ve written I think this is one of the most beautiful and meaningful. It’s based on two passages from Psalm 95. The first, “v’anachnu am marito v’tzon yado,” means something like, “we, your people, are like a flock that you shepherd with your hand.” The second, “hayom im b’kolo tishmau,” means, […]