a birthday party turned recording sess of the River My Soul song book, featuring Helen Bennett, Ilana Lerman, Davida Ginsberg, Aly Halpert, Margot Seigle, Miriam Grossman, Chloe Zelkha & Jesse Rothman. To get a copy of the song book, email Margot at margot.seigle@gmail.com.

Down To The River To Pray

Why, why worry when you can _____
Pray to/for the most high
Pray to/for the mothers and the fathers
Pray to/for the most high
Pray for them to watch over
Why, why worry when you can ____

Why Why Worry

irises bloom

Come Darkness Come Light - 7:2:19, 11.27 PM

Artist: David Dodson
I learned at Adamah (Jewish Farming Fellowship) in 2014. The song was brought to the Isabella Freedman community from Sylvestor Manor, an educational farm in upstate NY.

Sung at a song circle on July 20, 2019 on Chinook land/Portland, OR.

Farthest Field (David Dodson)

A zemer (song) for rest and joy on Shabbat, a time of slowing down
This zemer is usually sung on on Friday night. (16th century text)
sung by Mónica Gomery & Batya Levine

M’nuha v’simha, or lay’hudim,
Yom shabbaton yom mahamadim.
Shom’rav v’zokh’rav heima m’idim
Ki l’shisha kol b’ru’im v’om’dim.

Sh’mei shamayim, erets v’yamim,
Kol ts’va marom g’vohim v’ramim,
Tanin v’adam v’hayat r’eimim,
Ki v’yah adonai tsur olamim.

Hu asher diber l’am s’gulato,
Shamor l’kad’sho mibo’o v’ad tseito.
Shabbat kodesh, yom hemdato,
Ki vo shavat mikol m’lakhto.

B’mitsvat shabbat eil yahalitsakh.
Kum k’ra eilav yahish l’am’tsakh
Nishmat kol hai v’gam na’aritsakh,
Ekhol b’simha ki kh’var ratsakh.

B’mishneh lehem v’kiddush raba,
B’rov mat’amim v’ruah n’diva,
Yizku l’rav tuv hamit’an’gim bah
B’viat go’eil l’hayei ha’olam haba.

Translation:
O light of gladness,​​ O light of gladness,​​
Peace​ unto Israel,
Shabba​​t day of bliss, weave thy magic spell,
Weave​ thy magic spell.
All they who guard thee, all they who guard thee,
With raised cup do tell,
Tell of six days toil, earth from chaos raised
Build​ed firm and well.

Blue skies and green fields, blue skies and green fields,
Ocean​'s unceasing​ tide.
Glori​ous hosts of heaven, beaming far and wide,
Beami​ng far and wide.
Might​y whales and dragons fierce, mighty whales and dragons fierce,
Then human, to tame their pride:
God's​ hand formed them all, sure God's works abide,
Sure God's works abide.

God spoke to Israel, God spoke to Israel,
Chose​n for this behest,
'Till​ night's stars shine bright guard My Shabbat blest,
Guard​ My Shabbat blest.'
O day delightfu​​l, O day delightfu​​l,
Day which our God loved best,
God Godself on thee from God's toil did rest,
From God's toil did rest.

Ye faint and wearied, ye faint and wearied,
Shabba​​t soon make you strong!
Call on God, to God strength and might belong,
Stren​gth and might belong.
Sing loud God's praises, sing loud God's praises,
Sing mid the Angel throng,
Then go, eat in peace, God hath heard your song,
God hath heard your song.

Twin loaves and good cheer, twin loaves and good cheer,
Goble​ts of ruby wine,
Bid thy guests sing loud, praise God's gifts divine
Prais​e God's gifts divine.
God's grace will bless thee, God's grace will bless thee,
True Sabbath bliss be thine
Soon to greet our King, sprung from David's iiu
Sprun​g from David's line.

Menucha V'Simcha - Ashkenazi Traditional

written on the 1st of Nissan, 5780 // March 26th, 2020

The words for this song come from Earthseed: The Books of the Living out of Octavia Butler's Parable series. At a time when so much is rapidly changing around us, her words feel more present than ever.  I sought to try and write a song to capture this, and opened the book to a part in the story where a community member passes without time to do a proper burial.  Instead, this prayer is offered.  May this song offer some support and solace in a moment where there is so much loss without the ability to come together and properly mourn.

As wind,
As water,
As fire,
As life

God is Change.

God 
Is both creative and destructive,
Demanding and yielding,
Sculptor and clay.

original text:
As wind,
As water,
As fire,
As life,
God
Is both creative and destructive,
Demanding and yielding,
Sculptor and clay.
God is Infinite Potential:
God is Change.

dedicating this song to Edith Louise Goldberg, a"h, who I did not have the privilege to know but was dear to many and took her life on the very day this song came to life. may her memory be a blessing.

As Wind, As Water

stone by stone
tear by tear
we release
& create right here

what is gone we build upon

credits
this is a rough cut / pre-master recorded with R. Micah Shapiro (on engineering, djembe & harmony vox) in west philly.

Stone by Stone by Taya Mâ

By Molly Bajgot & Noah Weinberg. 
Elul music project by Anat Hochberg & Matt Goldfield

Elul: Songs for Turning

Od Y'nuvun: Ripening in its Time

More at: www.patreon.com/rivshapiro

Song from project "fragments":

"Fragments" is a multimedia process of ancestral re-membering. Music and film become the container for the artist's quest to recover the stories and strengths of their Jewish ancestors who migrated from Romania to Minneapolis at the turn of the 20th century. "Fragments" challenges linear space-time to illuminate the past through the present and invite the audience into the question: How do we remember what's been forgotten?

Remember Me (Live)

This is a chant grounded in the resilience, courage, and hope of our Jewish ancestors, reminding us that when we fight for life and for justice, we are weaving ourselves with all justice-fighters who came before us. No fight is too big for our fierce and courageous hearts. 

As the story goes: In 1939, Nazis surrounded a group of Jews from Lublin, Poland, backed up against barbed wire and ordered them to sing to their own execution. One man began to sing: "Mir veln zey iberlebn, iberlebn, iberlebn” —"We will outlive them.” The song took hold among the entire people, who, as they awaited their deaths, began to dance. They danced with joy, with resilience, with a life that could not be destroyed by fascism, militarism, or genocide. The commander saw this resilience. He recognized their defiance. They continued, even as the SS troops charged at them. Most lost their lives that day. And some lived to tell this story. We are here. We will outlive them. We will join forces and voices with others to fight so we can all outlive them, together (thank you, Jews for Racial & Economic Justice!). 

Vocals: Avra Shapiro
Melody: Avra Shapiro
Arrangement: Avra Shapiro & Nadav Simon 
Bass: Matt Coglianese
Drums: Nadav Simon
Violin: Mallory Linehan
Production and Mixing: Nadav Simon
Mastering: Steve Marek 
Recorded and Mastered at Cybernetic Meadow
Art by Micah Bazant (poster can be bought here: https://www.micahbazant.com/buy-art/we-will-outlive-them).

Farthest Field (David Dodson)

Ary Solomon

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