The concept of the Elul kumzitz was dreamed up last summer, when Baruch Levine was singing around the camp circuit
The concept of the Elul kumzitz was dreamed up last summer, when Baruch Levine was singing around the camp circuit.
“Of course, Hershy Weinberger’s song ‘Ata Zocher,’ from the Rosh Hashanah davening, was on every set list,” Baruch remembers. “I added some of my own Elul songs and some from other artists, and created a ‘Let’s Not Be Afraid of Elul’ medley, putting together a collection of slow and fast Elul niggunim. Baruch Hashem the chevreh really took to that medley, and I kind of made it my mission to do this medley everywhere, as I remembered how hard it was for me when I was leaving camp to make that sudden shift from a real summer camp break — a time to let loose and refresh — straight into Elul.
“It always felt like too drastic a change, and the Elul mindset could feel daunting,” Baruch continues. “I wanted to shift that perspective. Yes, Elul is certainly about teshuvah, yirah, and kabbalas ol malchus Shamayim, but it’s also so much about ahavah, closeness, connection. If I’d have to use one word I would say, ‘opportunity.’ My hope was that if we can lean into that feeling already after Tishah B’av in the summer, then our entrance to Elul will be so much better anticipated and actualized.”
Right after that summer, Doni Gross suggested that they record a kumzitz-style live Elul album. As timing was tight — Doni had the idea once Elul had already begun — and the song list was short, with only eleven songs. The album was released mid-Elul last year, and as soon as it was out there, people began to ask why their own Elul favorites weren’t covered. This new update delivers more of the Elul vibe, including a wide selection of songs ranging from from “Ki Lashem Hamelucha” and “Adon Olam” to TYH’s “Elul” song, and more powerful songs from Rabbi Shmuel Brazil and Abie Rotenberg. “Machnisei Rachamim” and “Pnei L’elbon,” as well as two well-loved Chabad classics, add a touch of chassidish warmth, and listening to the album is a great way to prepare for the great spiritual opportunities of this time of year.
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