Ruach Neshama is a collection of songs of soul and breath. These songs employ traditional texts, lyrical midrash and the meditative practice of the nigun—the wordless melody—to open our hearts to the ever-present guidance and compassion within. They strive to paint the wisdom and words of our ancestors on a canvas of body and nature, and to ask the question: What is my soul calling for? What teachings do Earth, Song, and Spirit offer me? 

Free sheet music found at arielwolpe.com/sheetmusic 

Many thanks to the incredible musicians who shared their voices on these tracks: to Kendra for being my sister in life, love and music, to Deborah for sweet harmonies and infinite padding, to Jon for relinquishing his time and office space for recording, to Gayanne for sharing my passion for musical connection to earth, and to my mother Valerie for her ongoing guidance in sound, song and spirit. Thank you to my Rising Song cohort Rebekka, Gedalia, Eitan, Batya, Rena, and Sam, for the never-ending inspiration, support and friendship that have lifted my spirit and my offerings to the world. To Don Godwin for mixing and editing these layered tracks, to Eliyahu Sills and Will Robertson for instrumental offerings, and to Josh Fleet for his logistical support. This album would not exist...  more
credits
released August 8, 2021 

All music composed by Ariel Root Wolpe, Hebrew text from Jewish liturgy and Tanakh. 
Music direction by Joey Weisenberg and Ariel Root Wolpe 
Harmony direction by Deborah Sacks Mintz 
Produced by Joey Weisenberg 

Recorded outside and in home-studios in Atlanta, GA, Philadelphia, PA, and Berkeley, CA. 
Engineered by Joey Weisenberg and Jon Mitchell 
Mixed and Mastered by Don Godwin 
Artwork and Layout by Sol Yael Weiss. 

Singers and Musicians: 
Ariel Root Wolpe - lead vocals, acoustic guitar 
Kendra Root Wolpe - vocals 
Deborah Sacks Mintz - vocals 
Valerie Root Wolpe - vocals 
Jon Mitchell - vocals, djembe (track #8) 
Joey Weisenberg - bass, percussion, guitar, baritone ukulele, piccolo, drum programming, vocals 
Will Robertson - bass (track #7) 
Eliyahu Sills - flute (track #2) 
Rising Song Institute Vocalists: Rena Branson, Rebekka Goldsmith, Eitan Kantor, Gedalia Penner, Sam Tygiel, Batya Levine, Gayanne Geurin (track #5) 

www.arielwolpe.com 
www.risingsong.org 

A Project of Hadar's Rising Song Institute: Cultivating Jewish spiritual life through song. 

"Ruach Neshama" sponsored by Wilderness Torah 
"Yedid Nefesh" sponsored by Ahavath Achim Synagogue 
"Hineni" sponsored by Adath Israel on the Main Line 
"Vatikach Miriam" sponsored by Congregation Or Hadash 
"Waking Up Nigun" sponsored by Har Zion Temple
license

Ruach Neshama

Mima’amakim (Psalm 130)

We belong! Compassionately welcoming all the ways -- emotionally, intellectually, behaviorally -- that we exist right here in this moment allows us to connect. To be present with our selves in our own contradictions helps us build the muscles of witnessing the complexity of the beings around us. It turns us towards each other with open hearts and loving perspectives. Not only is finding home in ourselves and our present moment important for our mental health, stress and overall well being, but it is an important dimension of showing up fully in our communities, in our work to change and transform politics and social life, and harm caused all around us. Holding ourselves just as we are is a primary tool in transforming antagonism and erasure of experience into acceptance, humanization and openness.   

Lyrics:  
Its okay to be nervous 
it's okay to move slow 
it's okay to not know  
its okay to not have everything already figured out 
its okay to feel joy and also feel a lot of doubt  

you are home where you are 
as you are 
just who you are

just as you are

Halleluyah
Halelu et adonai min hashamayim, haleluhu bameromim. 
Haleluhu kol melachav, haleluhu kol tzeva'av 
Haleluhu shemesh veyareach, haleluhu kol kochvei or. 
Haleluhu sheme hashamayim ve hamayim asher me'al hashamayim 
Yihallelu et shem adonai ki hu tziva venivraoo 
Vya'amidem la'ad leolam chok natan velo ya'avor.

Halleluyah: Psalm 148 (Nava Tehila)

Mah tovu ohaleicha ya'akov mishkenoteicha yisrael. 

Va'ani berov chasdecha avo beitecha, eshtachaveh el heichal kodesheca beyiratecha.

Mah Tovu (Thomas Ravenscroft)

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself (this is the great principle of Torah- Rabbi Akiva). 

The words, straight outta Leviticus 19:18:
הריני מקבלת עלי את מצבת הבורא ואהבת לרעיך כמוך
Hareini m'kabel(et, if F-identified) alai et mitzvat ha'Borei
V'ahavta l'reyekha kamocha

Behold, I take upon myself the commandment from the Creator:
to love your neighbor as yourself

V'ahavta l'reyekha kamokha - Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

Havdallah

Oseh Shalom
recorded by Nomi Lerman, Batya Levine & Margot Seigle
tune by Nava Tehila

Oseh shalom bimromav 
Hu ya'aseh shalom aleinu 
V'al kol Yisrael 
V'imru, v'imru amen.

SIVAN - Oseh Shalom

:שִׁוִּיתִי יְהוָה לְנֶגְדִּי תָמִיד (Shiviti Adonai L'negdi Tamid) “I place God before me always.” –Psalms 16:8
Havayah, Ahavah (Experience, Love... aka alternative words for God)

Shiviti  (Nava Tehila)

El Eliyahu, an Iraqi song sung after havdallah, taught and led by Galeet Dardashti at Let My People Sing! 2018

LMPS 2018

El Eliyahu (Iraqi Melody) - LMPS 2018

Origin:
Words & Melody by Macrina Wiederkehr & Velma Frye
This is a recording from NSP's Yom Kippur Community Singing Session in 2019

Words:
I will believe the truth about myself
No matter how beautiful it is

Singing Team - YK Melodies

I Will Believe the Truth About Myself

A zemer (song) for Shabbat, a time of slowness, rest, and rejuvination. A zemer usually sung on Shabbat afternoon. Attributed to Dunash ibn Labrat, a 10th century Babylonian paytan (liturgical poet), whose name is spelled acrostically in verses 1,2,3 and 6.
sung by Mónica Gomery & Batya Levine

D'ror yikra l'ven im bat, v'yintzorchem k'mo vavat, n'im shimchem v'lo yushbat, sh'vu v'nuchu b'yom shabbat.

D'rosh navi v'ulami, v'ot yesha aseh imi, n'ta sorek b'toch karmi, she'e shavat b'nei ami.

D'roch purah b'toch batzrah, v'gam bavel asher gavrah, n'totz tzarai b'af v'evrah, sh'ma koli b'yom ekra.

Elohim ten b'midbar har, hadas shitah b'rosh tidhar, v'lamazhir v'lanizhar, sh'lomim ten k'mei nahar.

Hadoch kamai, el kanah, b'mog levav uvamginah, v'narchiv peh unmalenah, l'shonenu l'cha rinah.

D'eh chochmah l'nafshecha, v'hi cheter l'roshecha, n'tzor mitzvat k'doshecha, sh'mor shabbat kodshecha.

Translation:
 God will proclaim freedom for all God's children
And will keep you as the apple of God's eye
Pleasant is your name and will not be destroyed
Repose and rest on the Sabbath day.

Seek my sanctuary and my home.
Give me a sign of deliverance.
Plant a vine in my vineyard.
Look to my people, hear their laments.

Tread the wine-press in Bozrah,
And in Babylon that city of might
Crush my enemies in anger and fury.
On the day when I cry, hear my voice.

Plant, Oh God, in the mountain waste
Fir and acacia, myrtle and elm
Give those who teach and those who obey
Abundance peace, like the flow of a river.

Repel my enemies, Oh zealous God.
Fill their hearts with fear and despair.
Then we shall open our mouths,
And fill our tongues with Your praise.

Know wisdom, that your soul may live,
And it shall be a diadem for your brow.
Keep the commandment of your Holy One
Observe the Sabbath, your sacred day.

Dror Yikra - Ashkenazi Traditional

Mishkan is inspired, down-to-earth Judaism.

We’re about creativity and authenticity, about building space for ecstatic prayer, music and meditation, for being intellectually stimulated and spiritually invigorated. We are from across the spectrum of denominations and backgrounds, LGBT and interfaith inclusive, open to everyone. We believe that Judaism is a vehicle for bringing more light, more goodness, more justice, and more joy to the world.

Halleluyah: Psalm 148 (Nava Tehila)

Mishkan Chicago

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