Adar I: You Have Been Vindicated!
This year in the Hebrew Calendar we are in what is known as a leap year or a pregnant year. There are seven years in a 19 year cycle on the lunar calendar that are a leap year. So in these years a whole additional month is added, making Adar I and Adar II. In […]
A Unique Piece of Music which Transcends Community Borders
Christian American composer Esther Upham has created a refreshing and inspiring piece of contemporary classical music for the world to enjoy. Born in Chicago, Esther attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where she completed a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Pedagogy and a Master of Music degree in Piano Accompanying. Upon completing her […]
Bring Brightness To Your Sabbath Table
The sacramental blessing over wine on the Jewish Sabbath is fundamentally what sanctifies the day, turning an ordinary Saturday into the Jewish holy Sabbath. Routinely, the wine for that blessing is contained in a beautiful cup that honors the moment of sanctification and allows people to reflect on the day of rest and God’s creation […]
Musical Inspiration From the Heart
The spiritual power of music is well-recognized. On Friday afternoons in Israel, some supermarkets are filled with the sounds of Sabbath songs, and in the home, children and mothers sometimes sing songs as they get ready for their day of rest. A cantorial soloist and music director at Congregation Kol Ami in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, […]
The Transcendent Sound of The Shuk
Join us on a musical tour of the Israeli shuk, and we’ll show you a bustling marketplace, a true feast for the senses. Smells of roasting Turkish coffee mingle with fresh-picked herbs. Sounds of merchants hawking their wares in a mix of voices, bargaining in Hebrew, Arabic, Amharic, Yiddish, English, Russian, Spanish, French and an […]
Unique Musician Releases Soulful CD
Musician Lazer Lloyd has created a genre all his own. An Orthodox Jew living in Israel midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, he is affectionately known worldwide as the “blues guy from Israel”. In June 2015, Lloyd released his well-received CD, “Lazer Lloyd”. A compilation of 12 tracks, 11 of which are original compositions and […]
Tu B’Shvat: New Year for the Trees
This week marks a significant date in the Jewish agricultural calendar, but for most of us city-dwellers, it would have gone unnoticed if not for the Jewish people’s undying connection to the Land of Israel. According to Jewish tradition, there are four “new years” in the calendar: the new year for the world, the new […]
Music Review: From Great Loss to Unimaginable Joy
The stories of Noah and Ruth and Naomi are quite different, yet have similar underlying themes. Impending doom exists at the beginning, then faith and action are needed. The stories take a dive into sorrow and back into relief and deliverance in the end. According to the Bible, Noah and his family witnessed one of […]
Harnessing ancient sounds to accompany ancient words
A taste of the essence of ancient Israel is brought to life through the use of the drum, ethnic percussion instruments, and the singing of ancient prayers in this moving CD. The soul-awakening voice and rhythms draw the listener into a spiritual experience, stirring the desire to dance and sing along. The authentic Jewish essence […]
Video: City of David Revealed!
Join our virtual tour of the underground explorations of the City of David in Jerusalem. History comes to life at every turn.