This piece is specifically written to easily work in synagogue and camp settings.  The simple melody provides a great foundation for adding harmonies or other instrumentation parts.  This is our quintessential piece that blurs the line between synagogue and camp songs.

Simply put, this was the first Jewish song Jeremy every wrote.  The text comes from "On the Doorposts of Your House."

Justice was inspired by and written for the 2005 Chevrah T'filah task force at Camp Newman.  Their goal was to write and lead a weekday T'filah service in conjunction with their "Action Day," and perfectly fit their needs.  This is the first piece Jeremy & Brad wrote together; it was completely written between 11PM and 2AM on one night after getting a late-Shabbat inspiration.  The Chevrah task force first recorded the song at Camp Newman in 2005.

We always want to help those we love.  Sometimes we hold out a hand, sometimes we open our wallets, and sometimes we just sit and listen.  But what about when someone needs healing?  We can comfort, but most of our actions are based on soothing the emotional side of pain -- rarely can we affect the physical.  This has always been a disheartening point for me.  I want to help, but the only way I can is by saying a prayer for healing.  My frustration led to the music of "Healing."  The song is written to musically say "I can't do much, but I'm doing all I can, and I'm doing it with everything I've got."

"Healing" is dedicated to my Aunt Iris for her incredible strength.  10 years ago, she won her battle with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma after going through intense chemo and radiation.  At the beginning of 2006, the disease came back.  Shortly thereafter, and with some chemotherapy, the cancer is in full remission.  While she continues her battle, she has been resiliently optimistic and has kept a remarkably positive attitude.  In the face of adversity, we should all emulate my Aunt Iris.

The piece is also accented by Myla Wingard on violin and Andy Mayer on piano.

The inspirational solo of Tzur Yisrael enriches the meaning of its text through a calming melody.  Written in a park, surrounded by silence, it intrigued us to be more versatile with our writing and to produce a more simple, but powerful and meaningful song.  The key was also specifically chosen so the ending modulation of "Mi Chamocha" can go straight into "Tzur Yisrael," just as the liturgy intends.

If there is one piece of liturgy that screams "Jewish Rock," it's Mi Chamocha.  This track captures the joy of freedom in its rock beats, and the melody is catchy so the words are not cumbersome.  The song started as a guitar groove in the URJ Kutz Camp lobby in 2003, but the verses didn't come together for another year.  Nevertheless, the song does not feel forced; it is naturally expressive.

Shabbat Shalom is a simple, catchy song with engaging harmonies that entice listeners to sing along.  The lyrics of the second part of the song were chosen for how well they exemplify the spirit of modern Jewish music: "We sing to God as we live."

Shalom Aleichem is the most organically written song on this album.  It started as a guitar groove in the Teatron at URJ Kutz Camp, and we developed the melody in our first attempt.  At the time, we had a siddur(Prayer book) open to the words of Shalom Aleichem, and we knew that this melody was a perfect fit.  Just as the text of this song welcomes the Angels of the Sabbath, the melody has strong influences of more traditional songs that welcome everyone to the community.  From the exceptional drum lines to the fast pace melody, Shalom Aleichem provides a new and rich sensation for Shabbat services.  Unexpectedly different, the tune leaves you with an entertaining echo that will keep you wanting more.

The texts of "Mizmorim Part 1" come from the Kabbalat Shabbat(Friday evening) service leading up to the welcoming of Shabbat with L'cha Dodi.  Eventually, there will be two other Mizmorim parts that will culminate in one cohesive and moving piece to introduce the Sabbath.  Our spirited and rocking tune delivers an uplifting feeling that encompasses a sense of elation during a camp Shabbat or a groovin' song session.

The words of Ki Eshm'ra come from Kabbalat Shabbat(Friday evening), an uplifting service that strives to set a welcoming tone for the Sabbath.  We took this idea and wrote a melody that captures the excitement and welcoming feeling of a camp Shabbat service.  Ki Eshm'ra is a catchy song and you may find yourself singing it all day long.  

The song started as a brainstorm during a song session preparation, evolved in a camp dining hall, and was finally presented on July 4, 2004.  Since then, the song has received great success, becoming a huge highlight of the URJ Camp Newman song repetoire, and is well known across the country because of its consistent presence in Dan Nichols' set-list.  The song was also highlighted at the NFTY North American Convention in February, 2005 in Los Angeles, CA.