MOSHE SHERIZEN

A SONG THAT GIVES ME CHIZUK

There are some songs I can listen to over and over, and one of them is “Im Ein Ani Li,” composed by Yossi Green for Shloime Gertner’s first album, Nisim. The song is a little like life itself — a strong beat, but also an actual tune, hartzig but not gentle. And to me, the message is that I am the only person who can take care of myself and do my thing. No one is going to do it for me.

A SONG THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER

Carlebach’s “Lemaan Achai” is very special. I moved recently, and in the shul that I joined, we sing it every Friday night after Kabbalas Shabbos. It adds something special.

A SONG THAT HAS AMAZING VOCAL ARRANGEMENTS

In the 1990s, there was an Israeli group of three brothers — Yitzchak, Yossi, and Boaz Goldshmidt — called “Kol Achai,” who were popular for a couple of years. In some songs they used a full band, and in others just guitar and the three vocalists, with the vocal harmonies taking the place of the band. I don’t really know if they were popular everywhere in the frum world — I come from Detroit where they once did a concert — but the singing and harmonies were beautiful. They had a distinct and original sound, nothing you could point to as Carlebach influence or MBD-style. I’d choose their “Anim Zemiros” from their album Hashkifah as my best example.

A PASUK AND TUNE THAT ARE A PERFECT MATCH