Guitar & melody vocals by Rachel Chang
5/23/2021

Nigun Tishrei by Nava Tehila

Sung with Grace Gleason in a tunnel in Riverside Park, Wappinger/Munsee Lenape land, Manhattan, 9/9/21

צָמְאָה לְךָ נַפְשִׁי כָּמַהּ לְךָ בְשָׂרִי
בְּאֶרֶץ-צִיָּה וְעָיֵף בְּלִי-מָיִם
 כֵּן בַּקֹּדֶשׁ חֲזִיתִךָ
 לִרְאוֹת עֻזְּךָ וּכְבוֹדֶךָ

Tzama lecha nafshi, kama lecha basari
B'eretz tsiya v'ayef bli mayim
Ken bakoidesh chazisicha 
Lirois uzcha uchvoidecha

My soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for You 
(As one) in a desolate and weary land without water
So (I thirst) to see You in the Sanctuary
To behold Your strength and glory

- Psalm 63, 2-3

This song was first taught by Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson on 28 Nissan, 5714 - 1954.

Chassidishe recording: https://www.chabad.org/therebbe/livingtorah/player_cdo/aid/690694/jewish/Tzama-Lecha-Nafshi.htm

Tzama Lecha Nafshi/My Soul Thirsts for You (Chabad) — Psalm 63

Bashem Hashem (demo)

Ya'aleh Tachanuneinu (May Our Prayers Rise!) is a medeival piyyut for the High Holy Days that we sing during Selichot services. This musical poem sends out our pleas that over the Yamim Noarim, our prayers may ascend to G!d in the evening, arrive (at G!d's 'front desk' as it were) in the early morning, and be answered/revealed by the time the day closes.

This melody is by Rabbi Julia Andelman, and at KT this year we'll sing it for the last 4 verses of the piyyut, shown below. 

May our voices arise and may our prayers be received!
 
יַעֲלֶה יִשְׁעֵֽנוּ מֵעֶֽרֶב.
וְיָבֹא טָהֳרֵֽנוּ מִבֹּֽקֶר.
וְיֵרָאֶה חִנּוּנֵֽנוּ עַד עָֽרֶב:
 
יַעֲלֶה זִכְרוֹנֵֽנוּ מֵעֶֽרֶב.
וְיָבֹא וִעוּדֵֽנוּ מִבֹּֽקֶר.
וְיֵרָאֶה הַדְרָתֵֽנוּ עַד עָֽרֶב:
 
יַעֲלֶה דָפְקֵֽנוּ מֵעֶֽרֶב.
וְיָבֹא גִילֵֽנוּ מִבֹּֽקֶר.
וְיֵרָאֶה בַקָּשָׁתֵֽנוּ עַד עָֽרֶב:
 
יַעֲלֶה אֶנְקָתֵֽנוּ מֵעֶֽרֶב.
וְיָבֹא אֵלֶֽיךָ מִבֹּֽקֶר.
וְיֵרָאֶה אֵלֵֽינוּ עַד עָֽרֶב
 
Ya'aleh yishenu me'erev, 
v'yavo taharenu miboker,
v'y'raeh chinuneinu ad arev.
 
Ya'aleh zichroneinu me'erev, 
v'yavo videnu miboker, 
v'y'raeh hadarateinu ad arev.
 
Ya'aleh dofkenu me'erev, 
v'yavo gilenu miboker,
v'y'raeh bakashateinu ad arev.
 
Ya'aleh enkatenu me'erev, 
v'yavo eylecha miboker, 
v'y'raeh eilenu ad arev
 
May our journey to salvation arise this evening, 
May our purest selves come by tomorrow morning, 
May our grace arise within us by next nightfall.
 
May our memory arise this evening, 
May our community unite by tomorrow morning, 
May we see Your splendor by next nightfall.
 
May our knocking upon Your gates arise this evening, 
May our joyfulness come by tomorrow morning,
May our search for You be crowned by next nightfall.
 
May our weeping arise this evening, 
May it reach You by tomorrow morning. 
May You answer us by next nightfall.

Ya'aleh Tachanuneinu - Andelman Melody, sung by Aly, Koach, & Rabbi Mó

וּפְרוֹשׂ עָלֵינוּ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ, וְתַקְּנֵנוּ בְּעֵצָה טוֹבָה מִלְּפָנֶיךָ, וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ

Ufros aleinu sukkat shlomekha, v'taknenu b'eitza tova milfanecha, v'hoshienu. 

Spread over us a canopy of Your peace, guide us with Your good counsel, and save us.

One Bead

Cheshvan 5784: Ufros Aleinu by The Epichorus

Part 1: Or chadash (a new light)

Part 2: 
There’s no Jewish safety, in occupation 
Free Palestine, free Palestine 

The light of each soul is holy and sacred 
Ceasefire now, ceasefire now 

Part 3: Dream with me, liberation

This song is a dedication to the new possibilities, to dreaming into existence the world to come, and to the resilience needed to get us through what is to come until then.  

Originally written on the 29th of Kislev/ 7th night of Chanukah, 5781 (2020). 

Re-written for 5784 erev week of Hanukah in collaboration with Lila Macbeth in the wake of unprecedented violence in Gaza. May Palestine be free. May Jews be safe. May we find each other once again. May the light of hanukah help illuminate a path forward. 

Recorded in collaboration with Or Levinson, Lila Macbeth, and Kestrel Feiner-Homer on Dakota homeland / Anishinaabe territory.

Or Chadash, 5784

Sailing - Acoustic Cover by Gabriella White - August 2025 - Take #1

recorded by batya levine, molly bajgot, margot seigle, alicen roberts & george clements around a fire in JP, Boston Iyar 5776 / May 2016. 

the origins of this song are a little mysterious to me, but the farthest i could trace back is from a recording by the Rainbow family Rainbow Sprite video in August of 1997

Humble yourself inside of the fire
You gotta lay down low
Humble yourself inside of the fire
You gotta ask em what she knows

And we will lift each other up
Higher and higher
And we will lift each other up
Higher and higher

in the end, mixed with Lime Tree by Trevor Hall

a note on these lyrics: this is the version I learned and that i've heard, but i believe the original words are actually:

Humble yourself in the light of the elders
You gotta bend down low and
Humble yourself in the light of your elders
You gotta know what they know and

We shall lift each other up
Higher and higher and (chorus)
We shall lift each other up

Humble yourself in the light of your children
You gotta bend down low and
Humble yourself in the light of your children
You gota know what they know and (chorus)

Humble yourself in the light of your sisters……..
Brothers….the animals……..each other, etc.






SIVAN - Humble Yourself Inside of the Fire

This call to faithful action is based on a quotation by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and speaks back to the shallow 'thoughts and prayers' and inaction of American politicians in face of ongoing mass shootings and gun violence. It is intended to be used in faith-based protests and marches, or as a sending song in churches and synagogues.

Sheet music is available for free on my website: http://www.paulvasile.com/products/pray-with-our-feet

It's not enough to offer thoughts and prayers.
It's not enough to say that we care. 
It's not enough to hope that things will change. 
We've got to pray with our feet,
pray with our feet, pray with our feet 
and get out, out on the street.

Music: Paul M. Vasile, LovedIntoBeing Music ©2018

Pray With Our Feet

Higale Na (from Yedid Nefesh) הגלה נא

Adaptation of traditional High Holidays liturgy
Written by Kohenet Riv Shapiro, Elul 5780
with vocal support from Becca Heisler, Jes Heppler & Binya Koátz

Hayom t'amtzeinu: Amein
Hayom t'vorcheinu: Amein
Hayom t'gadleinu: Amein
Hayom tidr'sheinu l'tova: Amein

Art by Anya Riddell-Kaufman @_anya_mind_

Bashem Hashem (demo)

Ariel Root Wolpe

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