The purpose of music at Temple Israel is to transform lives by reaching worshippers' hearts with Jewish prayer. We are always looking for melodies, instrumentation, and ways of leading a service that will truly give direction and space to our spirit and breath. Until our congregants' faces are radiant and glowing as they are singing a prayer, we keep looking for music that will reach more effectively into their hearts and souls.
Cantors Smolash and Michaels lead the music department as a cohesive team, bringing life to our worship and lifecycle events, and directing a canopy of programming, concerts and offerings for our Temple community. Throughout this section you can download our albums for listening or learning, catch up on our latest videos, and learn more about Temple’s exciting services and concerts.
The Zipser Foundation Artist in Residence:
Jacob Spike Kraus
The Burton A. Zipser and Sandra D. Zipser Foundation has generously underwritten the full cost of bringing an established recording artist to Temple for another year. Temple Israel is so fortunate to welcome back as our Zipser Foundation Artist in Residence one of the most talented Jewish recording artists on the scene today.
Jacob Spike Kraus is a singer/songwriter, educator and innovator changing the way we think about Jewish music. His music has been included in the cantorial curriculum of Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion and is featured by Jewish Rock Radio & PJ Library. Originally from Boston Massachusetts, Jacob has been song leading for over a decade at synagogues, day schools, and summer camps. Now he spends his summers touring Jewish summer camps across North America - performing, teaching, and just being generally “camp-ful”.
His albums, “Shake Off the Dust”, and “Cornerstones,” draw on themes from Pop, Rock, Folk, and Rhythm & Blues genres. Jacob’s smash hit “What Makes You Glow,” known endearingly in most circles as “Fish Swim”, has made Jacob’s music familiar to just about every Reform camper in America. At Temple, Jacob has created innovative High Holy Day services, taught songwriting, created new compositions for major Temple milestones, produced viral music videos, and shared his infectious love of music with every generation of our community. During his first year here Jacob partnered with Temple to create a Chanukah music album that redefined the genre and forever raised the bar for what it means to write a Chanukah song.
A heartfelt thanks to the Burton A. Zipser and Sandra D. Zipser Foundation for their generous support. Burton was a friend of both Cantors Smolash and Michaels, and it warms our hearts to share Burton’s overflowing love of music with the Temple and Michigan community through this dynamic program.
Concerts
Temple’s Concert Series provides a rich season of Jewish music to the thousands who attend our concerts annually. Recent highlights include:
- A Laker Concert, starring our own Cantor Michael Smolash, in an afternoon of lighthearted song and story with a handpicked band from New York City. Our Irving Laker Guest artist, Todd Herzog added his silky voice and brilliant musicianship to our torah dedication service.
- The Schmier Chamber Series included national names like Brooklyn’s Project Trio as well as local gems such as the Mack sisters.
- To ensure our younger members also connected with the best in Jewish music, Rick Recht brought his rock band to Temple’s Religious school for an Apel concert that raised the roof!
- The Robert Sosnick Family Life Center in conjunction with The Caring Community presents a variety of great concerts. Enjoy beautiful music with your friends in a warm setting followed by refreshments. These programs are open to the community free of charge, and are always on the third Thursday of the month from April through October at 1:30 pm.
We look forward to another season that will uplift and entertain, and we thank our many donors and supporters, who have again put your trust in us to bring exceptional talent to the community. To help ensure the success of our Concert Series, your contribution is a wonderful way to honor a loved one, and to show your dedication to the uplifting power, music can have on the soul.
If you have any questions regarding any of these events, please contact the Temple Israel Offices at 248-661-5700.
GOTTLIEB CONCERT FEATURING
THE SHALVA BAND
Temple is so proud to present the Shalva Band in a custom recorded concert tailored for our community. Music was Stephen’s passion and he loved sharing it. Had this gifted soul had more time in this world, his parents are sure he would have become a professional musician, and shared his creative spirit with so many. Sadly, the husband and father of three passed away in 2008. It is through Stephen’s love of music that his parents, Harold and Sarah Gottlieb, have established an endowment at Temple Israel to create two Cantorial Chairs and an annual concert bearing their son’s name. Stephen’s passion and the Shalva Band’s mission are in such beautiful sympathy and resonance. It fills our hearts with pride that Shalva’s first appearance in Michigan will be at this year’s Stephen Gottlieb Concert.
Questions? Contact Maya Grinboim at maya@temple-israel.org
Funded by the Sarah & Harold Gottlieb Endowment Fund in loving memory of Stephen Gottlieb.
Laker Concert FEATURING
Shiri Maimon
Shiri Maimon comes to you with an intimate and exciting online concert in which she performs the best of her greatest hits set to unique piano arrangements.
Shiri is an Israeli pop and R&B recording artist, TV show host and actress. One of the most prominent and successful singers of the last decade in Israel, Shiri has a rare vocal ability, and a one-of-a-kind stage presence. She has three hit albums out, and in addition to her own packed concert tours, has starred on Broadway in the musical Chicago, and has appeared everywhere from Eurovision to the MTV Music Awards, to Judging The X Factor.
Temple Israel is grateful to the Laker family for sponsoring this concert In loving memory of Sarah & Harry Laker.
If you missed the Laker Concert featuring pop star Shiri Maimon on December 13th, 2020 live streamed from Israel, click below to see more!
Videos
Move Like Graggers Remix
Purim Song
Shema ( Shema Yisrael)
by Anna Brooks
Original Purim Song
Cantors Smolash & Michaels
Purim Song - The End of the Book
Sam Kay - Raise Your Voice
Hinei Ma Tov from
"With One Breath"
Albums
With One Breath
In loving memory of Stephen Gottlieb
With One Breath brings together the most beloved melodies from our Kabbalat Shabbat services. Featuring thrilling musicians from Detroit, Toronto and Tel Aviv, and the gorgeous voices of our full music team at Temple, listeners are in for a real treat.
Light Up the Night (EP)
New Chanukah Music from Jacob Spike Kraus
The age old joke that “all the best Christmas songs were written by Jews” inspired Jacob to take that same musical style Americans hold close when the weather gets cold, and infuse his original melodies and lyrics with Jewish cultural themes: light, perseverance, miracles, and of course latkes and dreidels. This is true American holiday music in the style of Frank Sinatra and Carol King.
Kavanat Haruach
(Focusing the Spirit) The Kabbalat Shabbat
music of Temple Israel
Kavanat Haruach is Temple Israel’s first CD of worship music for Friday nights. Tracks from Kavanat Haruach have been featured on the Union for Reform Judaism’s Ruach CD, as well as on the Songbook and CD for Kabbalat Shabbat at the URJ’s Biennial Convention.
To get the CD, call Temple Israel at 248-661-5700
We Are One
Celebrating the Music of Temple Israel's Shabbat Unplugged.
We Are One is dedicated to Wendy and Rabbi Paul Yedwab and their 25 years of building, inspiring, and elevating Temple Israel and our Jewish Community.
Listen to Tracks and Download Charts >
To get the CD, call Temple Israel at 248-661-5700
Productions
Children of Eden
Based on the story of Genesis, the age-old conflict of parents and children takes the stage in this joyous and inspirational Stephen Schwartz musical about family and faith. Performances are April 30, May 2 & 3, 2020.
Presented by Ignite Productions powered by Temple Israel and The Ethel Hyman and Rose Kaplan Foundation.
Children of Eden is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com
