Judy and David are Juno award winners (Canada's Grammy Awards), known to millions of children as the stars of "Judy & David's Boom Box" on Canada's Treehouse TV. They are also committed Jewish composers and performers, bringing music from their "Rock N Roll Matzah Ball" CD to family audiences at synagogues and Jewish community events across North America.
Beth Schafer is a vocalist, guitarist, and spiritual tunesmith who specializes in music for Torah-minded adults looking for an extension to their Jewish lives through music. Her song “Prayer of the Workin' Man” placed in the Indie International Song Contest.
Julie Silver is a contemporary Jewish musician whose 2007 album “It’s Chanukah Time” was the first Jewish holiday CD produced exclusively for Barnes and Noble. Her songs are frequently heard in Jewish worship, camp, and academic settings.
Peri Smilow is a nationally recognized singer/songwriter, educator and community organizer whose most recent recording, “Peri Smilow and The Freedom Music Project: The Music of Passover and the Civil Rights Movement,” has been the subject of reporting by NBC, ABC TV and National Public Radio's “All Things Considered.”
Craig Taubman writes and performs songs music bridges traditional Jewish themes and ancient teachings with passages and experiences of contemporary Jewish life. Craig is also the producer of the popular Celebrate Series, a CD compilation project that collects some of the best Jewish music available on special theme-oriented recordings.
Josh Nelson serves as the music director for the URJ Biennial Convention, faculty for the Hava Nashira Music Institute, and a musical artist in residence for the JCC Maccabi Artsfest. The five-person Josh Nelson Project delivers high-octane Jewish rock designed to captivate and mesmerize.
Doug Cotler is a composer and an accomplished singer, songwriter, and musician who won a 1984 Grammy for his song "Manhunt", featured in the blockbuster movie “Flashdance.” Cotler, who performs more than 100 concerts per year, has recorded six original Jewish music albums.
Dan Nichols is the lead guitarist and vocalist for Jewish rock band Dan Nichols & E18teen. One of the most popular and influential Jewish musicians in North America, Dan’s music has been incorporated into curriculum and services by synagogue youth and clergy alike. His new Album, “The Roots” launched June 2008 to rave reviews.
Alan Goodis debuted his first album this year, produced by and performed with fellow Jewish musicians Dan Nichols and Grammy nominee Mark Niemiec. The self-titled, five-track album featured powerful vocals and bold melodies
Casey Prusher
, of Miami, Florida, is an alumna of NFTY-STR and was the winning contestant in the NFTY Song Competition, held at the 2009 NFTY Convention in Washington, D.C., with her performance of “Elohai N’shama.”
Noam Katz, a URJ camps alumnus and a rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College, has performed for audiences across North America, Africa and Israel. Noam’s music is influenced by his time spent volunteering with the Abayudaya Jews of Uganda, which furthered his commitment to teaching social justice and tolerance through music. His newest album, "A Drum In Hand", blends traditional prayer with hand drumming and rhythms from around the world.
Mike Mason is the founder and owner of Tof b’Yad, which combines Jewish content, innovative experiential learning, and rhythm education into hands-on musical events. Mike works as a music and youth specialist at Temple Judea in Tarzana, California and is the guitarist for the Los Angeles band Dorothy Feels.
Michelle Citrin, a YouTube sensation for her video “20 Things to Do with Matzah,” was named one of Billboard Music's Top Songwriters and was a finalist for VH-1’s Song of the Year for her original song, “Dark Refrain.” New York Jewish Week included her in its 2009 list of “36 Under 36: The Next Wave of Jewish Innovators.”
Chana Rothman, described by Popsyndicate.com as “Bob Marley meets Edie Brickell,” has opened for Israeli superstars such as HaDag Nachash and Koolooloosh. Her debut album, “We Can Rise,” was named Best of 2007 by popular blog Jewschool.com, and received a four-star rating from The New York Jewish Week.
Soulaviv, self-described performers of “music for the Jewish soul,” plays high-energy soul/gospel/world-music mixed with Jewish heritage and spirituality. The quartet’s songs focus on the Jewish tradition of tikkun olam, featuring traditional spirituals, Hebrew prayers, original songs, old favorites, and even a little Bob Marley.
Larry Milder is a flatpicking, singing rabbi with a knack for off-beat Jewish tunes. He has produced four albums of new and original Jewish folk music and his songs appear on more than 20 albums. His song "Wherever You Go (There's Always Someone Jewish!)" has become a favorite in youth groups and summer camps throughout the country.
Jeff Klepper was one of the first cantors to champion congregational singing and to use a guitar in Jewish worship. Since the early 1970s, Jeff has been one half of the Jewish-American contemporary duo Kol B’Seder (“Everything’s OK); he is currently working on a new CD and the first of a multi-volume anthology of his music for Jewish worship.
Kyle Cotler
, the son of Grammy award-winning Jewish musician Doug Cotler, recently graduated from Whitman College with a degree in music theory and is now the children’s music specialist at Temple Kol Tikvah in California. He is the Head Songleader at URJ Camp Kalsman and occasionally performs with his father.
Steve Dropkin, a NFTY and URJ camps alumnus, has been a finalist in the American Jewish Song Festival and his powerful song, "If Not Now, When?" was chosen as the New Jersey State Anthem for the first World AIDS Day commemoration. His composition "Hashkiveinu" was the winner of the first Shalshelet Choral Song Contest.
Mark Bloom is an accomplished pianist, bandleader, stage and musical director, producer, interpretational service leader, composer and a recognized performing artist living in Minneapolis. Three times nominated for the American Jewish Song Festival, Mark has produced his acclaimed Jazz Shabbat Service at more than 55 congregations across North America.
Rabbi Joe Black, the rabbi at Congregation Albert in Albuquerque, N.M, performs original songs in both English and Hebrew, with lyrics based on biblical and liturgical texts. Joe blends traditional folk melodies with styles ranging from swing to salsa, and lullabies to rock, for songs that appeal to children and adults alike.
Sue Horowitz, a former NFTYite and faculty member/songleader at URJ Crane Lake Camp, began writing songs for Jewish settings which she hoped would be accessible to anyone who wanted to sing. Her first CD, Eleven Doors Open, was made with Jewish artist Josh Nelson. Sue works in special education and teaches Jewish music at several temples in Maine.
Jeremy Gimbel is the youth director & song leader at Congregation Beth Israel in San Diego and was most recently the head song leader at URJ Camp Newman in Santa Rosa, CA. Jeremy, editor of "Birkon Mikdash M'at: NFTY's Bencher,” just put out his second CD, “Let it Happen,” with fellow musician Shira Tirdof.
Mark Weinstock is a folk-soul singer/songwriter and balladeer who encourages audience participation during his performances in the form of singing, instrument-playing and even painting. His single "Homemade," featuring the All Gods Children Harlem Gospel Choir, was a finalist at the UK Songwriting Contest.
Jaffa Road, an acclaimed Toronto-based world music group draws inspiration from sacred and secular Jewish songs, Classical Arabic and Indian music, modern jazz, rock, pop, and dub. Their debut CD, Sunplace, was released in early 2009 and was recorded for CBC Radio 2 Canada Live. Jaffa Road’s songs won them Grand Prize in the John Lennon Song Writing contest.
Yom Hadash (which means "the new day" in Hebrew) was formed in 1997 to appeal people of all cultural backgrounds and creeds. The five-man band has produced five albums that fuse rock, pop and world music with traditional melodies and ideals, forming a genre they call “the new day in Jewish music.”
Peter and Ellen Allard are award-winning recording artists, performers, musicians, and educators specializing in music for young children. The married duo presents lively and captivating performances, keynote presentations, and teacher workshops for family audiences, in-service staff training sessions, and educational conferences across the country.
