Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim is an Orthodox yeshiva based in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens, New York, United States. It is primarily an American, non-chasidic ultra-orthodox Talmudic yeshiva. The yeshiva is legally titled Rabbinical Seminary of America (RSA) but is often referred to as just Chofetz Chaim as that was the nickname of its namesake, Yisroel Meir Kagan. It has affiliate branches in Israel and North America.
Moshav, formerly known as Moshav Band, is an Israeli-American Jewish rock band originating from Moshav Mevo Modi'im. Founded in 1995 by Yehuda Solomon and Duvid Swirsky, the group moved to Los Angeles in 2000 and has released seven studio albums. They are often regarded as one of the first groups to combine Jewish music with a rock sound, as elements of alternative rock, folk, funk, and reggae appear in their songs.
Aaron Teitelbaum is one of the two Grand Rebbes of Satmar, and the chief rabbi of the Satmar community in Kiryas Joel, New York.
Dov Lior is an Israeli Orthodox rabbi. He served as the Chief Rabbi of Hebron and Kiryat Arba in the southern West Bank until late 2014. He is the rosh yeshiva of the Kiryat Arba Hesder Yeshiva and heads the "Council of Rabbis of Judea and Samaria".
Ya'akov Dov "Katzele" Katz is an Israeli politician. He led the National Union party from 2008 to 2012, for whom he was a member of the Knesset, and is also the executive director of Beit El yeshiva Center Institutions and Arutz Sheva.
Blue Fringe was an American Jewish rock band from New York City. Formed in 2001 by lead singer Dov Rosenblatt, the band's debut album, My Awakening (2003), sold more than 14,000 copies, an uncommon feat in the limited Jewish market, and became a runaway hit. Since then, the band has released two more albums, 70 Faces (2005) and The Whole World Lit Up (2007), and has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Africa, and Israel. They were credited, along with Moshav and Soulfarm, with advancing Jewish rock in the early 2000s.
Allan Schwartzberg is an American musician and record producer. He has been a member of the rock band Mountain, Peter Gabriel's first solo band, toured with Brecker Brothers' Dreams, B. J. Thomas, Linda Ronstadt, Stan Getz band, and the Pat Travers band. He has experienced success as a prolific session musician, through recordings made from the 1970s through today. He has also played on multi genre hits such as Gloria Gaynor "Never Can Say Goodbye", considered the first disco record, James Brown's "Funky President", Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle", Tony Orlando & Dawn's Tie A Yellow Ribbon, Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill", the Spinners' "Workin' My Way Back to You", the Star Wars theme, and Rod Stewart's Great American Songbook series including the hit "What A Wonderful World". He has played with musicians and singers including John Lennon, Diana Ross, Jimi Hendrix, Alice Cooper, Kiss, Frank Sinatra, Roxy Music, Robert Palmer, Grace Slick, Roberta Flack, Barry Manilow, Harry Chapin, Barbra Streisand, Deodato, Frankie Valli, and Roger Daltrey. He was also a frequent musician guest with Paul Shaffer's David Letterman Show band.
Israel ben Eliezer or Yisroel ben Eliezer, known as the Baal Shem Tov or as the Besht, was a Jewish mystic and healer who is regarded as the founder of Hasidic Judaism. "Besht" is the acronym for Baal Shem Tov, which means "Master of the Good Name," a term for a holy man who wields the secret name of God.
Ari Goldwag is an American Orthodox Jewish singer, songwriter, composer, and producer of contemporary Jewish religious music, as well as an author and teacher living in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel. He was a soloist for the Miami Boys Choir at age 10 and starred on five albums and three videos before his voice changed at age 14. He launched a music career after his marriage and move to Israel. He has released seven solo albums, and composes songs and produces albums for other artists.
Distant Cousins is an American indie pop band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 2013, the band is composed of Dov Rosenblatt, Duvid Swirsky, and Ami Kozak. Rosenblatt previously led the bands Blue Fringe and The Wellspring, while Swirsky is a founding member of Moshav. They released their debut self-titled EP on September 16, 2014, followed by a second self-titled EP in 2015. Several of their songs have been featured in film, television, and commercials.
The Wellspring is an American folk rock duo. Formed in 2009, the group is composed of singer-songwriters Dov Rosenblatt and Talia Osteen. Originally from New York City, the group is now based in Los Angeles.
The Whole World Lit Up is the third studio album by Jewish rock band Blue Fringe. It was produced by C Lanzbom of Soulfarm, and was released by Rendezvous Music and Craig Taubman's Craig 'N' Co. label on February 1, 2007. The album combines traditional Hebrew prayers with English lyrics, as well as covers of songs by The Flaming Lips, Moshav, and Soulfarm.
Jewish rock is a form of contemporary Jewish religious music that is influenced by various forms of secular rock music. Pioneered by contemporary folk artists like Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach and the Diaspora Yeshiva Band, the genre gained popularity in the 1990s and 2000s with bands like Soulfarm, Blue Fringe, and Moshav Band that appealed to teens and college students, while artists like Matisyahu enjoyed mainstream crossover success.
My Awakening is the debut studio album by American Jewish rock band Blue Fringe, released on September 7, 2003. It was one of the first Orthodox Jewish rock releases in the United States, and the band was subsequently credited with advancing Jewish rock alongside Moshav and Soulfarm.
Adam Wexler is an American-Israeli musician, best known as the bassist for influential Jewish rock groups Diaspora Yeshiva Band and Reva L'Sheva.
Ben Zion Solomon is an American-born Israeli musician, best known as a founding member of the seminal Jewish rock group Diaspora Yeshiva Band, for whom he played fiddle and banjo from 1975 to 1983. A disciple of Shlomo Carlebach, Solomon and his family were among the first residents of Carlebach's moshav, Mevo Modi'im. His sons later founded the bands Moshav, Soulfarm, and Hamakor.
Duvid Swirsky is an Israeli-American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and composer. He is best known as the guitarist, co-vocalist, and founding member of the Jewish rock band Moshav. He has also performed with the folk rock bands Skyland and Distant Cousins.
Yehuda Solomon is an Israeli-American singer, songwriter, and hazzan. He is the lead singer and co-founder of the band Moshav, which heavily influenced Jewish rock in the late '90s. He is the son of Diaspora Yeshiva Band member Ben Zion Solomon, while his siblings include Noah Solomon of Soulfarm.
Noah Solomon Chase is an Israeli–American musician, best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and mandolinist for the Jewish rock band Soulfarm.
Misplaced is the sixth studio album by Jewish rock band Moshav. It was produced by Ron Aniello and mixed by Brendan O'Brien, and was released on August 8, 2006 by Jewish Music Group.
