Cantor Helfgot sings..... Shlomo Carlebach?

This evening I came across an interesting video of Cantor Helfgot, Chief Cantor of the Park East Synagogue in New York City, international Chazzanut concert performer and possibly the most hyped Chazzan of our time.

Instead of his usual chazzanut classics like Zibert's "Mimkomcha," Kwartin's "Tiher Rabbi Yishmael," and Rosenblatt's "Ad Hena", he took on Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach's Moshe Ve'Aharon from Kabbalat Shabbat.



 Some of the most memorable Kabbalat Shabbat's of my life were spent with my good friend Danny Weinstein at Brandeis University, who introduced me (and many others) to a true Carlebach service.

Glad to see a professional chazzan perform a contemporary piece which speaks to those who have been moved by Carlebach's music.

Evolution of my personal קבלת שבת Kabbalat Shabbat

I believe that every prayer leader should strive to create an atmosphere of awe, beauty and inspiration through singing.

As I sang the words of the Maariv service this past Friday in Olney, MD I found myself overcome with appreciation for the life long vocal journey that has lead me to where I am today. While I am still far from where I yearn to be vocally, my voice has broken through to a new level.

וּמַעֲבִיר יום וּמֵבִיא לָיְלָה. וּמַבְדִּיל בֵּין יום וּבֵין לָיְלָה. ה' צְבָאות שְׁמו. אֵל חַי וְקַיָּם תָּמִיד יִמְלוךְ עָלֵינוּ לְעולָם וָעֶד: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', הַמַּעֲרִיב עֲרָבִים"

Over the last 8 years, the feedback I have gotten regarding my singing voice has gone from "you are a good Baal Tefilla" to "wow! Where did you learn to sing like that?". There is still a very long journey ahead, but uncovering my singing voice's nature has been an alchemy of sorts.

I have been studying with the one and only (truly) Rabbi Cantor Don Roberts since around 2005. Singing is like building a skyscraper. There is no trick, technique, or other type of short cut to building a throat. It takes years and years of perseverance under a proper mentor.

While I don't expect to ever enter the realm of my Cantorial heroes like Yossele Rosenblatt (יוסלה רוזנבלט) or Cantor Benzion Miller (בֶּן צִיּוֹן מילר), I can somewhat seriously entertain the prospect of singing professionally as a Cantor and/or Opera singer and getting a glimpse of being a professional singer is far more than I could have ever imagined.

In The Spirit Of Yossele- Now on Youtube

Today I came across a video uploaded by CantorialArt containing an interview of the great grandson of Cantor Yossele Rosenblatt. For someone who has only listened to his music, I enjoyed getting to know a bit more about Yossele as a person. There are several stories told which demonstrate how he was not only a man with a gifted voice but a man with tremendous integrity. The interview is in two parts. Totally worth the entire 15 minutes.