Ruach - New Jewish Tunes by Transcontinental Music Publications

Text: Psalm 146:1-2

[Noam Katz writes:] “Let my soul praise God. Halleluyah!” Friday afternoon, Jerusalem, 1999. Preparing for my weekly Shabbat walk down by the train tracks to Kehillat Kol Haneshama, my eyes fell over these simple, uplifting words from the book of Psalms. “I will praise God all my life, sing to my God with all my being!” I could hear the major chords in my head, the rhythms dancing off the page. From my lips awoke a new melody, a song of praise and celebration: “Halleli nafshi et Adonai…”

“Halleli nafshi et Adonai…” July 2000. I find myself in an unlikely setting for a Jewish songleader – the “bimah” of the New Covenant Christian Church in Mattapan, MA. I am fulfilling a childhood fantasy – to sing in a gospel choir. We are the Freedom Music Project, a group of Jewish and African-American Christian singers (under the leadership of Peri Smilow) that exudes the most ruach I have ever felt onstage. As we rehearse for our performance at the Conference for Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE), the Christian singers share an upbeat song called “Praise the Lord”. Within moments, our feet are stomping, our hands clapping, our souls stirring. Only after I have exchanged goodbyes with my new friends do I recognize these familiar lyrics: “I will praise God all my life, sing to my God with all my being.” Now I fully understand the power of music--to unite, to build community, to rejoice. Halleluyah!

I.
Hal'li nafshi et Adonai.

II.
Hal'luyah, hal'luyah, hal'luyah, hal'li.

III.
Ahal'lah Adonai b'cha-yai,
Azam'rah leilohai b'odi.
Ahal'lah Adonai b'chayai,
Azam'rah leilohai b'odi.