Songs

It can be hard to switch gears from the summer and prepare mentally and emotionally for the High Holidays. Music is a powerful tool to help with that transition, so I HAD to share Chava Mirel’s gorgeous “Achat Sha’alti,” performed in this video by JRR Jewish Star and Chicago-area cantorial soloist and singer-songwriter Kenneth Lyonswright. […]

Elul is a special month in the Jewish calendar, and it presents all of us as individuals and families with an opportunity to begin the reflection process that culminates with the High Holidays. One way to start this conversation with kids is to simply ask them what’s important to them. With lyrics like “I believe […]

If you’ve been following Jewish Song of the Week for a while, you’ve heard me mention JRR’s Jewish Star leadership initiative. Jewish Star identifies talented and passionate teens and young adults ages 14-27 and provides them with mentorship, skills-training, networking and more. Claudia Sachs and Marc Luban are two insanely bright and talented Jewish Stars […]

Tu B’Av is a Jewish holiday that celebrates romantic love, but in the same way that Valentine’s Day can express all kinds of love, this holiday is also a great opportunity to talk about the love in our families! “Mi Famiya” is a cute song and video from the multi-talented Sarah Aroeste that teaches you […]

One of the MANY accomplishments of Jewish Rock Radio that I’m very proud of is the group we helped coalesce in Chicago — JRR Chicago Sings. Under the leadership of Cantor Laurie Akers, Chicago artists, cantors and instrumentalists have been coming together over the last 3-4 years to put on some really incredible live concerts […]

We’re in a period of the Jewish calendar right now that focuses a lot on destruction and sorrow, culminating in the observance of Tisha B’Av and commemorating the many tragedies the Jewish people have faced in our long history. That’s a tough topic for young families to navigate, and in these busy summer months it […]

We’ve just entered a period in the Jewish calendar called “The Three Weeks,” in which we turn our attention to the many tragedies that we’ve faced historically as a Jewish people. This culminates in the observance of Tisha B’Av (this year in early August) and the commemoration of the destruction of the first and second […]

Do you ever just stop and think about what things are made out of and where it all comes from? My dear friend Billy Jonas did, and it led him to writing this song, “Some Houses,” which makes the important point that all houses are made out of materials that come from the ground. So […]

One of the BEST things about summer is getting lots of quality time outdoors to appreciate the magnificent world around us. We also have a responsibility to make sure future generations will get to enjoy that same awesomeness. Chava Mirel’s “Stand Up” is a powerful anthem for doing our part to take care of our […]

It’s a 2-for-1 summer Shabbat special this week! It’s always hard to know when to pick a Shabbat song for Song of the Week since we’re blessed to have Shabbat EVERY week. This is a rockin’ contemporary mash-up of “There’s a Dinosaur” and “Bim Bam” from New York kindie rockers Shira & Friends. The summer […]