For close to 10 years, Hadar’s Rising Song Intensive has been a gathering place for lovers of Jewish music to sing, study, and experience the depth that song has to offer our communities.

We’re saddened that the state of the world doesn’t allow us to gather in person during a year in which communal music is so desperately needed. Against that backdrop, we’re trying something new and exciting: A one-day virtual seminar for folks of all musical backgrounds to “gather” and create a space for musical expression, learning, and community.

An amazing line-up of musicians and educators--all of whom are included in his playlist--will share insights, ideas, and melodies that will be useful in your COVID-era living room and set the stage for post-COVID music-making.

From singing traditional tunes from a variety of Jewish cultures to hearing current creative voices, from the study of musical torah to the exploration of best practices for (virtual) collaboration, this year’s Rising Song Intensive will be a thrilling first for us and we want you in the “room”!

Our time together will finish with a livestream concert featuring Joey Weisenberg and members of the Hadar Ensemble. Sing with us from your own homes as we broadcast live from Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in New York on Wednesday, December 30, from 7:30-9:00 PM Eastern. Registration for the intensive also includes a ticket the concert.

More info here: https://www.hadar.org/programs/rising-song-intensive

Sounds from Faculty of the Virtual Rising Song Intensive

A classic niggun attributed to Rav Yisrael ben Eliezar, ZTsL, the Baal Shem Tov from the coming album "Candle Light: a collection of niggunim" at http://arielwolpe.com/rabbi

Sung by Ariel Root Wolpe, Nat Rosenzweig, and Jon Mitchell

Besht Niggun

The Omer - Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

"Asur Lehityaesh" - from the 2013 Breslov Bar Band release "Happy Hour". "Happy Hour" and our previous album, "Have No Fear," are available at iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby.&#13;
&#13;
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003RINTDW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B003RINTDW&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=jewishmusicia-20&amp;linkId=FSESJJINPE75MAZZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Click here to buy the album, "Have No Fear!"</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DXIUZRE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B00DXIUZRE&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=jewishmusicia-20&amp;linkId=BTDNSQ7XHSVFPGAN" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Click here to buy the album "Happy Hour!"</a>

Asur Lehityaesh

Music by Chloe Pourmorady
Text from the Torah

Hamechadesh (Piano, Strings, Soft Waltz)

“Vizhnitzer Nign” 
M. Berlin, B. Barzeski, A. Heshin (Clarinets), A. Segal (Drum), R. Rosenthal (Cymbals)
Researcher: Andre Hajdu
Meron, Lag Ba-omer 1968

Meron Tunes

Some sounds from our 3rd Raza Circle in Jerusalem, exploring nigunim from the Chabad tradition.

Mittler Rebbe's Kapelia

A soulful melody by the late Rabbi David Zeller, led by Chana Raskin with Rising Song Fellows at an open evening session in Mt Airy, PA., November 2018. 

G!d of beauty is now reigning in the temple of my heart
Of my heart, of my heart
Of my heart, of my heart

G!d of Beauty - a nigun by R' David Zeller

Yah Echsof is a Chassidic song of longing sung on Friday night of Shabbos.
Recorded for a friend upon request for her birthday, and shared here for whomever may find it meaningful.
Artwork by Batya Levine


Translation (by Rabbi Zalman Schachter​-Shalomi):
Yah! How I long for 
the bliss of the Shabbat, united in secret ​
with Your own fervent wish. Give way to Your own 
deep desire to love us. 
May Sabbath in Torah 
be our sacred bliss. ​
Share​ Her with us 
who desire to please You- Our deep thirst for union 
be met with delight

Holy Presence
filli​ng all time and space! Keep safe who keep Shabbat in their longing all week.
Like a deer that seeks water by the banks of the river, ​
We seek Shabbat, the secret of Your sacred Name! 
Grant​ us all week long 
Her shimmerin​g Presence,​ So our hearts and our faith be pure service to You!

Warml​y embrace us 
with Your kind compassio​n, Quench quickly our thirst for Your unending Grace. Give us the bliss drink from Eden's own river. Your praises we sing with joy on our face.
Let Jacobs gift to us-
 ec​ho all week long Infusing our lives 
with a Shabbes-f​illed trace.

Hail Shabbat, delight
of our souls and our Spirits. Ecstasy life-thro​b 
am awed by Your love, Secure that Your caring grants safety and nurture- You feed us sweet nectar from Your Source above. As You embrace us 
with Mothering​ comfort-
In You I take refuge ​
and pledge You my love.

Yah Echsof - by Rebbe Aharon of Karlin

Ein Od (“There is No Other”)
Words: Aleinu prayer (Deuteronomy  4:39, Zechariah 14:9)

Open My Heart is an album of original Jewish devotional world music. 

The eclectic soundscape of this album reflects my mixed Ashkenazi, Yemenite, and Syrian-Turkish heritage, and my own diverse influence. On the album you’ll hear echoes of Chassidic devotional songs; the microtonal scales and instrumentation of Arab classical music; colors of jazz, funk, and Klezmer; Ashkenazi prayer modes; Sufi chanting; and rhythms that I learned playing in my hometown of New York with musicians from around the world. 

I combine these diverse elements into a unique Jewish World Music that is deep and prayerful, filled with aspiration and yearning, heartache and joy. This is music for listening, for singing together, and for praying.

This album was recorded live off the floor (with minimal overdubbing) in the sanctuary of the Germantown Jewish Centre, in Philadelphia, bringing together some of my favorite musicians/ spiritual artists for a 3-day immersive session and capturing the energy that can only from playing together live.

There’s an old Jewish saying that words expressed from the heart are received wholeheartedly. The songs on this album are the prayerful expressions of my heart. I hope that it will move you, and maybe even open your heart, as it has mine.

TRACKS: 

LECHU (“Come, Let Us Sing Joyously”) 
Words: Kabbalat Shabbat Liturgy, Psalms 95:1-3
Vocal Arrangement: Ayo Awosika, Yosef Goldman

SEFIRAT HA'OMER NIGGUN
Words: Liturgy for Counting the Omer
Music: Shir Yaakov Feit, Zach Fredman, Yosef Goldman
Musical Direction: Yosef Goldman, Joey Weisenberg

GESHER (“The Bridge”) 
Hebrew Words: Rabbi Nachman of Breslov; English Words: Yosef Goldman
Vocal Arrangement: Ayo Awosika

EIN OD (“There is No Other”)
Words: Aleinu prayer (Deuteronomy  4:39, Zechariah 14:9)


YEDID NEFESH (“Soul Mate”)
Words: Elazar Azikri, Shabbat Liturgy
Music: Traditional Sepharadi-Yerushalmi (Maqam Sigah)
Musical Direction: Zach Fredman

OPEN MY HEART
Words: Rami Shapiro, Yosef Goldman
Vocal Arrangement: Ayo Awosika


ELIYAHU HANAVI (“Elijah the Prophet”)
	Words: Liturgy for Havdalah
	Music: Annie Lewis & Yosef Goldman
(written for the bris of Shir Emet Goldman)

Shalom Aleichem ("Welcoming the Angels")
Words: Liturgy for Shabbat Evening Meal
Music Direction: Yosef Goldman & Joey Weisenberg

Ki Lo Na’eh ("To You All Praise is Due")
	Words: Passover Haggadah 


OPEN MY HEART WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR STREAMING AND DOWNLOAD DECEMBER 3, FROM RISING SONG RECORDS
risingsong.org/buy

Produced by Yosef Goldman & Joey Weisenberg 
Music Composed by Yosef Goldman* 
Musical Direction by Yosef Goldman*
Engineered, Mixed, and Mastered by Don Godwin
CD Design/Layout: Lisa Weinberger, Masters Group Design

*Except where noted.


PERSONNEL: 
Yosef Goldman—Lead Vocals
Chava Mirel—Vocals
Deborah Sacks Mintz—Vocals
Megan Gould—Violin
Joey Weisenberg—Electric Guitar, Mandolin
Zach Fredman—Guitar, Oud
Uri Sharlin—Piano, Keyboards, Accordion
Daniel Ori—Double Bass, Electric Bass
Rich Stein—Percussion
Arturo Stable—Drums, Percussion

Special Guests: 
Dan Blacksberg—Trombone (#8)
Ertuğrul Erkişi—Tambur (#4,# 9) 
Aslıhan Erkişi—Classical Kemençe (#4,# 9) 
Don Godwin—Tuba (#8)
Annie Lewis—Lead Vocals (#7)
Micah Shapiro—Backing Vocals (#7)


Recorded live off the floor at Germantown Jewish Centre in Philadelphia, April 2019

Filmed versions of some of these songs will be available on YouTube and at www.yosefgoldman.com, filmed by Shmulie Lowenstein.

Ein Od

©2019 Rose Snitz

Written by, lead vocals, and guitar: Rose Snitz
Guest vocals, piano, bass, and drums: Noah Aronson

Arranged, recorded, and produced by: Noah Aronson
Mixed and Mastered by: Jeremiah Glazer | PS 379 Studios

Modah Ani by Rose Snitz

טוב, אז אנשים חולים במחלת הכתר
שומרים כללים וננעלים מבוהלים בחדר
גוללים בפיד גלים של מגילות של אסתר
בלי לראות את הרועים שעוד בוצעים בעדר
עושים כל מה שיכולים להעלים ת׳מסר:
לפני חודשיים עוד שרפו את יערות הגשם
האנקודות צחקו כשנמחקו לעפר
לא מאמין בשאמאנים? וואלה, אז גוד לאק גבר
אף פעם לא היה ככה מנוכר - או מחובר - אז זה בול
שמעתי שמבטלים את הקונספט של חו״ל
הסתכלו עלי בונה תיבה בסוג של זלזול - כי הייתי מסטול
בדיוק קניתי בגד ים מגיע מבול

אני לא נכנס לבידוד
אכלתי מספיק טריפים כדי לדעת שכלום 
אף פעם לא קרה בטעות
לא צריך ת׳מיקרוסקופ לראות שזה הוא

יה
יאללה, מלך, מה שתגיד
יה
ניסיתי להחליט בעצמי
יה
קח את ההגה
מאפר מהחלון את הוויד
על הכביש להורים
זה משבר עולמי
סוף סוף

יה
זה כבר לא משבר רק שלי
יה
איך ת׳לא אוהב אלילים
יה
יאנג בת, בואי לראות איתי שקיעה כלכלית
שדרנים שואלים:
זה הכתר של מי?

אל יה


בגוף של ההיסטוריה מתאחה לאט שבר
הוואטסאפ מהדק את החוטים של הקשר - 
כולם שואלים סוף סוף אם ״הכל בסדר״
תזכיר מה זה ׳סדר׳?
אני רואה מעבר:

בסוף היינו אנשים עם חוש כמעט-שישי בכיס בתוך ריבוע
נטפליקס אנד צ׳יל ופופינג פילס מחוץ לפילטר דיקטטורי אל הרוח
אהבנו קולה, אמיתי, למרות ה-פיל שהפארטי בפריפרייה
ביום שישי — בקידושים — מערבבים עם הקשים קוביות קרח
ורק גודשים עוד טשטושים מאחלשים אל מול הערב הזורח
הולכים מכות ונשיקות - כמו כל הדור - עם הפירות של האימפריה

(כל מי ששרד מאז יודע)

אז כל הילדים שלקחו די אם טי ומצאו את עצמי בחלום
אתם כבר יודעים את הדריל עם ארצות המתים — זה הזמן שכם לדהור - עכשיו
בואו חמושים כל ה-team עם השיר שמאיר לשומר מהראש
הכתר חובש את עצמו

יה
יאללה, מלך, מה שתגיד
יה
בורא פרי המאפאקינג וויד
יה
הגרף של הגוגל-סרצ׳ על ״תהילים״
עף מההדף כשהבנקים נופלים
סוף סוף

יה
סוף סוף יש משבר כללי
יה
אולד שיט, זה החרא שמדביק קהלים
או ג׳י שם לי מראה בדיוק בפנים
כמו תמיד - באביב
זה הכתר שלי

כתר יה

Note: This is NOT a Breslov Bar Band track!

Monday, April 6th, 2020

Last Thursday, I posted on my Facebook page, asking if any of my friends might want to collaborate on a Pesach nigun. This is most definitely not a commercial release, just an attempt to share some joy and camaraderie during a difficult time while we are all socially isolated due to the coronavirus.   The song I chose is the melody Bobover Chasidim use for Vehi Sheomdo, a chapter of the Pesach Hagada that talks about how there is oppression in every generation and how God ultimately saves us; a statement that at times of tragedy is difficult to explain or believe and which is traditionally sung by the Chasidim with faith even under adversity. This setting is an upbeat song of hope.

I posted a lead sheet and tempo marking on my Facebook page and my friends responded. Musicians sent in a wide range of recordings, from home studio setups, to laptops with a mic, to playing/singing into their iPhones. Rather than attempting to homogenize the sounds as much a possible using studio processing, I opted to celebrate the differences, largely leaving them as is. I also challenged myself to use something each contributor sent in, finding a place for everything. None of the musicians heard anyone else’s tracks beforehand. This was all done alone, but yet together.

This perfectly imperfect track is symbolic of this holiday season; a time that is not at all what we would have wished for, but one that will hopefully be meaningful and mark a turnabout from a time of challenge to a time of freedom. I hope that it will be seen as a symbol of people coming together to hopefully raise others up and celebrate together. And, if there is one thing that is reinforced through this forced isolation, I hope that it will be the increased sense of responsibility towards others that we see so many dedicating themselves to, each in their own way, from the medical staff on the front lines, to the service people who keep the food and necessities available, to the people who volunteer their own talents to share their music art, or even just a kind word with people in an uncertain time. 

I am supremely grateful to all of my friends for volunteering their time and talent. Thank you so much!

With much love!

Binyomin Ginzberg 

Binyomin Ginzberg’s Facebook Friends - The Bobover Vehi Sheomdo

Musicians:
Elimelech Adler - Cajon & Tambourine
Gavi Cohn - Vocals
Christian Dawid - Clarinet, Tenor Sax & Tuba
Harold Fruchter - Vocals
Yoshie Fruchter - Banjo
Binyomin Ginzberg - Haken Continuumini and Puzzle Assembly
Adrianne Greenbaum - Flute and Piano
Rabbi Yosef Goldman - Vocals
Jordan Hirsch - Trumpet
Ben Holmes - Trumpet
Yanky Lemmer - Vocals
Laura Melnicoff - Cello
Don Slovin - Percussion
Yehoshua Solomon - Vocals
Mordy Weinstein - Vocals
Zevy Zions - Accordion

The Bobover Vehi Sheomdo

A friend said she kept hearing Beyonce's "Single Ladies" during "Helpless" from Hamilton. So I played around and made this. Didn't have to change a single note. If you like it, put a ring on it!

Beyonce Single Ladies vs Hamilton Helpless

sung with sol yael weiss & ash berman

keep me, in the arms
of my beloved, oh g!d

planted where i stand
grounded by the land
carry me back to the sea
from dust to the dust again

perfect as i am
grounded by the land
carry me back to the sea
from dust to dust again

no matter where i go,
always keep me close
no matter where i go,
always keep me close

<3

keep me

HaGer HaGar (Stranger Love)

Yosef Goldman is a musician, ritual artist, and educator. 

Raised in a mixed Orthodox Ashkenazi and Mizrahi home, Yosef has taught and led prayer in communities of every Jewish movement. He has served as a ba’al tefillah (prayer facilitator) for some of the most spiritually vibrant and creative Jewish prayer communities in the United States and Israel. and continues to serve as a consultant, advising synagogues and prayer communities seeking to deepen the communal spiritual experience through musical prayer. 


Yosef’s original Jewish music is sung at synagogues, schools, and camps across the country. As a sought-after vocalist, Yosef performs and records with a wide range of Jewish artists. He is a longtime featured vocalist in the Hadar Ensemble and a founding member of the Middle Eastern Jewish music ensemble the Epichorus. Along with trombonist Dan Blacksberg, Yosef was selected by the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts for its 2018–19 Jazz Residency. 

Yosef received rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2013, with a concentration in pastoral care and counseling, and was also awarded a Master of Sacred Music. In his passion for spiritual growth and community, Yosef has served as a hospital chaplain and as a congregational rabbi and music director. He serves as Senior Advisor of Hadar's Rising Song Institute, an organization devoted to cultivating Jewish community through music. 

He lives in Gaithersburg, MD, and serves as  co-rabbi of Shaare Torah synagogue, alongside his spouse, Rabbi Annie Lewis. 

His first album of original Jewish devotional World Music, Open My Heart, was released in December 2019 on Rising Song Records. His second album, Abitah, will be released late summer, 2023.

Hadar's Rising Song Institute cultivates Jewish spiritual life through song. Through Rising Song Records we produce excellent original Jewish music that is sung and played in communities worldwide.

Ein Od

Yosef Goldman

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