blogs/cantor-herschel-fox

Chassidic Music - NESHAMA - Songs of the Jewish Soul

One of the cornerstones of Jewish Music in the last couple of hundred years has been the music composed by the Chassidic Rabbis - the Chassidic Nigun (melody). Beginning with the Baal Shem Tov, continuing with the music composed by other Chassidic Rabbis and hundreds of Chassidic Composers, these wonderful melodies have touched the hearts of the Jewish People. In modern Jewish musical history, no one has composed and performed this type of melody more effectively or poignantly than Reb Shlomo Carlebach. Though he passed away over 20 years ago, his melodies like Essa Aynai, L'maan Achai V'reiay, Uvaoo Haovdim, and Od Yishomah are sung at almost every service, Jewish wedding, and concerts of Jewish music throughout the world. Indeed, his Chassidic-like melodies have become the cornerstone of modern Jewish music.

It was my honor to hear Shlomo's music throughout my young years in Winnipeg and New York. I sang with him many times and interviewed him on my WEVD, New York radio show, and once brought him for a concert for our VBS youth group - USY. I have tried to keep his music alive. Throughout the world there are Carlebach Minyanim-services every Shabbat. No one has captured his spirit and his way of performing better and more poignantly than his daughter, whom he appropriately named, NESHAMA (soul). Like her father, she has become a world-renowned singer, story-teller, and teacher. She has performed and taught all over the world, appearing on Broadway, selling over a million albums, and was a six time entrant in the 2011 Grammy Awards.

She has touched people of all ages, faiths and backgrounds. It is my honor to have her as the guest artist at the Farbrengen on Friday evening, February 16th at 7:30pm. The music of Shlomo Carlebach lives on in Neshama's renditions of his nigunim as well as in her own compositions and melodies. In her own unique way, she has become one of America's greatest contemporary Jewish Artists. Numerous singers and Jewish performers have continued Shlomo's legacy. None have captured the hearts of our people in quite the same way as his daughter. Yes, “the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.”

May Jewish Music continue to thrive and may each succeeding generation, truly proclaim - Shiru La-Adonai Shir Chadash (sing unto G-d a new song). Carlebach's music will continue to remain a cornerstone of our musical heritage and continue to inspire a bridging of the old and the new.