How should we be thankful in times of stress and public discord? Rather than just being thankful for what we have, we might consider being thankful for the gift of hope for the future, to be grateful in advance for things that might be in the future. Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom and a Happy Thank...

Prayer is universal. It transcends language, culture, and creed, uniting us in our deepest hopes and aspirations. This rendition of "The Prayer" blends its original message with the Hebrew translation by Rabbi Moshe Pomerantz z”l (1935–2024).

We honor the memory of Rabbi Pomerantz, the late fa...

This holiday season, the Wicked movie is captivating audiences and capturing the popular imagination. Many social commentators have noted the Wicked story mirrors the Jewish experience. Written by Jewish authors, the story features themes of discrimination, resilience and standing up for what is ...

On Hanukkah, and in life’s darker moments, we turn to light to remember and to hope. The flames we kindle bring back memories of Hanukkah celebrations and cherished days gone by, both bitter and sweet. As the song expresses, “Light rises in the morning . . . do you remember? Yes, I remember. And ...

On the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, let’s pause and reflect. In the Yiddish words of this song, “Mend the torn pieces of my heart, and grant me a little relief.”

In many corners of the world today, hearts are torn. We may find common ground in praying for relief; let us als...

If Debbie Friedman z”l was a modern-day Miriam, with prophetic singing and leadership of Jewish music, then it is fitting to celebrate one of her most famous compositions as we approach Shabbat Shirah, marking the birth of the Song of the Sea.

In Psalm 150, all kinds of instruments are being ...

The L’kha Dodi prayer is central to Kabbalat Shabbat. For this reason, we have commissioned several settings of the prayer to new melodies. Featuring Cantor Kidron in duet with Cantor Schwartz, this dancing melody by Oran Eldor is filled with youthful joy in welcoming the Sabbath.

Featuring Cant...

This setting for springtime by David Nowakowsky (1848–1921), part of the Song of Songs, is all about arrivals, expectation, and allegories of love. This passage is read during Passover, which we will celebrate during the upcoming month of Nisan. Nowakowsky flourished with other Jewish musical gre...

In 2022, Cantor Jacqueline Rafii was commissioned by Cantor Schwartz to compose a new melody for “V'hi Sheamdah.” It took the form of a lullaby for her infant daughter, a promise of strength, hope, and resilience. Since October 7, it has become an anthem dedicated to all the hostages, a reminder ...

The Magen Avot prayer speaks of awe, rest, Shabbat, peace, and remembering creation. Seeking a summary of keeping Shabbat, it’s hard to think of a better one! As we keep Shabbat in the midst of Passover, this classic style of Hazzanut singing evokes the world of Jewish music and tradition like no...

At the 2015 Multireligious Meeting for Peace, Pope Francis and other religious leaders, including Rabbi Cosgrove, remembered those who perished on 9/11 and prayed for peace. Cantor Schwartz closed the ceremony with Oseh Shalom. May this song bring comfort to those mourning his loss.

During this week’s commemoration of Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut, all eyes are on Israel. Whether you are thinking of the wildfires near Jerusalem, meditating on the war and the hostage situation, or just trying to make sense of things in a shattered world, the poetry in this song will uplift...

Jerusalem, Yerushalayim, is a place from which peace should flow, a city full of different meanings, both historical and spiritual. For Cantor Schwartz, it is a city of memories. For the young Israeli composer we commissioned to write this song, Yonit Spiegelman, it is a city of visions and power...

As we approach Shavuot, we think about the strength, beauty, and peace of our tradition. Bidding farewell to Cantor Sierra Fox as she leaves our internship, we offer this musical illustration of that tradition which she and Cantor Schwartz sang earlier this month. We have passed this piece, and m...

This month we mark the 92nd Yahrzeit of Cantor Yossele Rosenblatt (1882–1933), the most revered cantor of his day. This piece, the most famous duet he composed, takes for its text an ancient description of the actions of the Cohen Gadol, the High Priest, which we recall on Yom Kippur. We commissi...

As we prepare for Shabbat and approach Tisha B’Av, we share this musical tribute to Cantor Schwartz’s mentor and teacher, Cantor Naftali Herstik z”l, whose first yahrzeit we mark this month.

Cantor Herstik’s voice filled the Jerusalem Great Synagogue with sacred beauty for over three decades, an...

The month of Elul begins shortly, and with it comes the sound of the shofar. We all hold similar hopes for the new year: peace, safety, and to be written in the Book of Life. We invite you to join us for High Holiday services, in person or via livestream, to pray for these blessings and more. Wis...

Whether it’s Labor Day or Israel Day, there’s nothing like a parade to celebrate, and this year PAS had its own float at the Israel Day Parade in NYC. Even in somber and challenging times, this song reminds us: “it will be better, it will be even better!” Enjoy the feel of the celebratory crowd a...

As this song expresses, may you be sealed in the Book of Life, and may the new year ahead bring sweetness, happiness, and peace. Shanah Tovah!

Music by Beth Styles, arr. by Oran Eldor, commissioned by PAS Music Center
Music Director: David Enlow
Video Editor: Tami Shaham
Audio: Oscar Acevedo

Rabbis Cosgrove and Zuckerman, both “Born in the USA,” love Bruce Springsteen. The rabbis joke with Cantor Schwartz, who hails from “The Promised Land,” that he really doesn’t get the Boss, that he’s just “Dancing in the Dark.” This past Rosh Hashanah, the Cantor proved that he is not “Blinded by...

Sixty years after Simon & Garfunkel released this song, we find ourselves once again in a world deeply divided. “People talking without speaking - people hearing without listening.”

If you recognize some of the singers here, it’s because they also opened the Tony Awards earlier this year. Singin...

Corinne Allal (1955-2024), a hall-of-fame Israeli rock artist and one of the country’s most beloved voices, sadly passed away last year. In honor of her memory, we are releasing a recording of a new piece the PAS Music Center commissioned her to compose, made by combining an original vocal sketc...

Last year, at UJA’s New York City commemoration of October 7th in Central Park, Cantor Schwartz led the prayer for Israel: Avinu Shebashamayim. All shared similar hopes and prayers at this moving community-interfaith event: an end to conflict that begins with the return of the hostages. As this s...

We are thinking about events in Israel, the bitter and the sweet. This song is a perennial summary of these moments which defy single emotions. Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom in a bittersweet time.

Live from Yom Haatzmaut 2025 at the Jerusalem Theatre, Israel
Featuring the Jerusalem Symphony Orc...