Category Archives: Music

I’m Still Alive!

Posted on by Andy (Avraham) Blumenthal

600 Holocaust Survivors and their descendants sing “Chai” (Life) by Ofra Haza.

Hope is not yet lost.

I live. I live. I live. 


I cried my eyes out watching this. 


The Jewish people not only survived the Holocaust as most of the world sat by and watched the genocide of six million men, women, and children with a soulless indifference, but G-d has kept his promise and restored the Jewish people and returned them to the Holy Land and made it flourish again!


(Thank you to my sister, Roz, for sharing this with me)

The Best of Jewish Nigunim

Posted on by Andy (Avraham) Blumenthal


Shlomo Carlebach was a master of Jewish Nigunim (melodies).



With his music he could literally move one’s soul to reach for G-d Almighty in the Heavens and on Earth. 



Thank you Eitan Katz for bringing this alive again.



I hope you can feel it as I do.



Hashem lives!

A Song of Saul and David

Posted on by Andy (Avraham) Blumenthal

Great song: David and Shaul from Ehud Banay’s third album, ”The Third/Hashlishi”


The song is about the “bipolar” feelings of King Saul toward David (then the next king of Israel). 


Here are the lyrics:

כולם מזמן הלכו לישון
רק שאול ער, קודר
מרים לדוד טלפון

A late-night hour

Everyone is long gone to sleep

Only Shaul is awake, cheerless

He calls David up over the phone

אולי תקפוץ אלי, יא דוד
נפשי אגם שחור
תביא איתך את הגיטרה
כי באצבעותיך אור

Maybe you should stop by, Ya David

My soul is a black lake

Bring the guitar with you

For you have light in your fingers


דוד בא מיד רגוע,
מתיישב ומכוון
את המלאכה היטב יודע
עוצם עיניים, מנגן

David comes right away and he is calm

Sit down and tunes (the guitar)

The job he well knows

Closes his eyes, he plays


עשר אצבעות לדוד
קצה כל אצבע – קרן אור
כשהוא פורט על המיתר
הזמן זורם לו לאחור

Ten fingers David has

The tip of each one – a ray of light 

When he port on the string

The time is flowing backwards

שאול מבפנים קרוע
קרבות בתוך בטנו
אוהב-שונא, ומקנא
מכור לחברו

Shaul is torn inside

Battles in his stomach he has

Love-hate, and jealous he is

Addicted to his friend

דבר מה אפל נופל
השד חוזר להשתולל
סכין נזרקת באוויר
פתאום יש בין השנים קיר

Something dark falls

The demon is back to a rage

A knife is thrown in the air

Suddenly there is a wall between the two

דוד מתחמק משאול

אבל שאול לא מוותר
דוד שוכח וסולח
כששאול מתקשר

David is avoiding Shaul

But Shaul is not giving up

David forget and forgives

When Shaul call up

בוא שוב לנגן לי דוד
קח אותי לכוכבים
בוא שוב לנגן הלילה
שיר געגועים

Come again to play to me David

Take me to the stars

Come again to play tonight

A song of longing


בוא שוב לנגן הלילה…

Come again and play tonight..

בוא שוב לנגן הלילה
שיר געגועים…

Come again and play tonight..

A song of longing..

(Kudos to my Ulpan teacher, Rivka D. for sending me the video and to Izchak, my wonderful son-in-law, for providing the Hebrew/English lyrics)

Artechouse = Art + Tech + House

Posted on by Andy (Avraham) Blumenthal

This place was really cool in Washington, D.C. 



Artechouse = Art + Tech + House. 



Great immersive technology, art, music, dance, and light show. 



Highly recommend it!



This exhibit “Lucid Motion” was by Japanese artist Daito Manabe X Rhizomatiks Research.



They also had a nice augmented reality display. 



Had fun with the clan. 



Hope you enjoy!



(Credit Video: Andy Blumenthal)

Born With The Music

Posted on by Andy (Avraham) Blumenthal

Saw an incredible segment on 60 Minutes on Sunday about this amazing girl named Alma. 


Alma Deutscher is a British-born (of Israeli-descent) musical whiz kid who was playing piano and violin at age 3. 


And she composed a whole opera by the time she was 10. 


They call her the Second Mozart, although she prefers to just be the First Alma!


She literally hears music playing in her head all the time, and she says that there are different expert musical composers in her head that she calls on to solve whatever musical challenge she is facing or sound out the emotion she is trying to get to. 


In her interview, she did not seem like a 12-year old, but rather an old soul who has come back perhaps many, many times. 


Listening and watching Alma is sort of like watching a walking miracle–as there is no way she learned these skills at such a young age and has “comprehensive mastery” over all the music and instruments. 


If there was ever a question about where knowledge, skills, and abilities come from, with a child prodigy like Alma, there should be no lingering doubts about G-d’s complete role in everything.  


With Alma, G-d graciously let’s us in to the mysteries of creation by showing us the source of all is Him. 


(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)