We're getting married!
The holiday of Shavuot is upon us and
it's time once again to step up to the chuppah. God as groom, the Jewish People as the bride, the Torah as
the ketubah. Time to renew our
vows, to recommit to learning and holy works. Time for blintzes and cheesecake! Thanks for taking the time to read my new essay "Where is
God?" below for a new perspective on seeking holiness.
The Songs We Sing Volume 2 CD is
finished! Mazeltov! 28 songs...brand new versions of the greatest
hits of the Jewish People. It
seems like every time I listened to what was supposed to be the "final" mix
something was not quite right. Well, now it's right and is currently at the duplicators. Thanks to all of you who took a vote of
confidence and pre-purchased your copies. I don't think you will be let down.
I just had a whirlwind month with shows in
Palm Springs, Salt Lake City and Stansbury Park, UT, New York City and Albany.
I even snuck in a few glorious days at Snowbird, Utah where there is still a
ten foot base of snow. Thank God
for all the holidays in the Jewish calendar. Where would us Jewish musicians be without Yom HaAtzma'ut
concerts and Lag B'omer jam sessions? Next month I'm off to Dallas, Tuscon and Poland for concerts and
Shabbatons. If you happen to be in
Krakow please come by and say hello.
Happy belated Mother's Day to all you moms
out there. Sarah, Max and I each wrote
a new mother's day songs for our imas. Jesse made my wife a powerpoint presentation! Sarah's sweet debut
performance of her song is on display in the new videos for May section.
Have a holy, happy holiday and please stay in
touch.
Sincerely,
Sam
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The Songs We Sing Volume Two is Here!
Sam has just completed his 21st CD...the follow up to the ever popular Songs We Sing released in 2000.  Volume Two has twenty-eight lovingly recorded songs by Sam and his full eight-piece band and an array of guest vocalists. This monumental work breathes new life into these classic "common denominator" hit songs that unite the Jewish world. Order it now!
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The CHAI TOUR 2010/2011
Be a part of Sam's 18th year on the road! Get your organization signed up on this special tour while the best dates are still available! Click here for the concert options and click here for the full schedule; dates are added weekly.
Event programmers: Uplifting contemporary Jewish music will bring all ages in your community together like no other activity. As always, we discount significantly for midweek shows and when Sam is already in your area. Sieze the date!
Upcoming stops include:
Dallas, TX
Tucson, AZ
Dubiecko, Poland
Krakow, Poland
Vancouver, Canada
San Diego, CA
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Where is God?
By Sam Glaser
May 2010
I often refer to the Kotzker Rebbe's famous
quote: "Where is  God? Wherever you
let God in." When we make space in our busy lives, open our hearts and limit
the expanse of our egos, Godliness fills our being. It's an automatic response to creating a vacuum; God's
omnipresence inevitably fills every available space. I have a corollary to the "where is God" question. God is wherever people are in
need. The Torah is replete with
countless reiterations of God looking out for the orphan and widow, God showing
concern for the poor, the stranger, the desperate. The gates of heaven are never closed to tears. Need a breakthrough in your
connection? First make the space
in your own life for God to fill the void, then share the love with those who
are needy, less fortunate, on the fringes.
Last month I was asked to lead the davening
at L.A.'s famous Happy Minyan. After the spirited prayers the packed house waited for Kiddush and since
this was Shabbat M'varchim, when we bless the imminent new month, a full lunch
was being placed on the tables. I
stayed until the end, schmoozing with friends, eating my fill and singing with
the group. I noticed a certain
phenomenon: those with other places to go  for lunch leave within the first half
hour. Then the cool cats and
well-to-do trickle out soon thereafter. The people that are left are the simple folk, the holy brothers and
sisters that comprise the minyan's core. Pico-Robertson is blessed with over forty shuls in the 'hood. The Happy Minyan is the place of refuge
for Jews of all stripes who don't quite fit the mold in the other places,
including those who can't contribute financially, have been through a recent divorce,
are handicapped or psychologically challenged, or even homeless. And that is why the Happy Minyan is the
holiest minyan in town.
Think of the holiest things you have ever
done. I would bet that the list
doesn't include banquets and High Holiday services. It's more likely that your divine connection was maximized
while helping a special needs kid with homework, working in a soup kitchen,
visiting the sick. I can think of
a few instances where I stayed up all night with friends in the emergency
room. Or when I prayed for my wife
when she was having a difficult labor with our firstborn. One moment that stands out is the time
when I was filling up my gas tank on a cold Los Angeles night. Yes, we get a few of them a year. A tall, black woman in a threadbare
dress asked to wash my windows. They didn't need washing but I gladly gave her a few bucks to do her
thing. After all, giving someone
the chance to work for income is a higher form of charity. When I returned home I told my wife
about what had happened and how sad I felt that she was out there on such a
cold night. My wife's response was
unflinching: "then bring her a jacket!" D'oh! Such a
revelation! I grabbed a down trench
coat and drove back to the gas station. Seeing the smile on this lovely woman's face when I gave her my jacket
was a holy moment I will never forget.
In my twenties I didn't have much connection
with organized Judaism. I showed
up at my parent's house for an occasional Friday night dinner but that was the
extent of my commitment and I must admit I was drawn home by my mom's delicious
meals. Perhaps because I am a
songwriter and cannot  properly explain where all these melodies come from, I
have always intuited God's presence and love. But at that point in my life I had no vehicle to "return the
favor," to enhance the connection.
Then one day I discovered Jewish Big Brothers. I remember seeing a Big Brother brochure with the picture of
a friend of mine on the cover. I
thought, "If Phil could do that, I can too!" One thing is for sure...I'm a big kid at heart with a lot of
love to share. I may not have had piles
of cash to give but I did have time.
After a six month vetting process I became a "Big" and got matched with
an adorable eleven year old who is still my best friend twenty years later.
In concert I introduce my Unbreakable Soul song by stating that the same God that redeemed us from slavery in Egypt
arranged the circumstances for us to become slaves in the first place. I give two primary reasons: In order to
become God's chosen people, the Jews needed to experience personally what it
means to be persecuted so that we empathize with the plight of others. Often when the Torah advises us to look
out for the strangers among us it's within the framework of the Egypt
experience, "because you were strangers in the Land of Egypt." In Egypt we connected deeply to the lesson
that in life one must choose between servitude to human beings and servitude to
the Creator of the Universe. Take
your pick...there's no gray area. We
already had experienced the humiliation of serving the Pharaoh, so serving our
Creator who loves us with an infinite love was the natural choice. The other reason that I mention in the
introduction to Unbreakable Soul is the fact that surviving Egypt gave us a
certain resilient streak in our spiritual DNA. We learned never to give up,
never to lose faith, to cling to our connection with God and the Torah at all
costs. God established from time
immemorial that we use that stubborn quality to broadcast God's presence and
jump to the aid of our fellow man regardless of the consequences.
I'd like to offer a few biblical "proofs" for
the importance of serving God through caring for God's less fortunate. One is with Avraham sitting at the
entrance of his tent just after his circumcision. A brit milah is hard on an eight-day-old infant. Imagine a self-induced bris on a ninety
year old! And yet we learn that
Avraham was out there in the heat of the hottest day of the year waiting
earnestly for guests whom he could serve. While he waited, God appeared to him in order to "visit the sick" and Avraham
was enraptured in divine communication. Suddenly the angels, disguised as travelers, appeared. Amazingly, Avraham
interrupted his blissful Godly revelation to greet them. One might think it was a tremendous
chutzpah to put God on "hold." According to my friend David Sacks, Avraham was DEEPENING the
conversation with God by serving the guests. This story clarifies that the deepest connection with God is
when we act as God's hands, doing holy work to make this world a kinder, more
peaceful place.
Another clear-cut example of this precept is
the jarring juxtaposition of the Torah portions Yitro and Mishpatim. Yitro is perhaps the most cinematic,
pyrotechnic parsha in the book. Smoke, fire, earthquakes, shofar blasts and the single most remarkable milestone
in human history: the gift of the Torah to the several million Jews assembled
at Mt. Sinai.  Then the text takes
a seeming left turn into the Mishpatim chapters, which outline an array of no
less than fifty-three laws pertaining to the maintenance of a just
society. In other words, in
Judaism there is no distinction between one's "religious" life and how one
conducts business. Awe and wonder
sit side by side with day-to-day details. Don't think for a second that you can work hard, study Torah, get honored
at your synagogue and also mistreat your employees, fudge your taxes and ignore
the pain and suffering of the homeless in your community. In fact, true service of God lies in
the details of our everyday life.
Jews are unanimous about few things. One of
them is Yom Kippur. Sandy Koufax wouldn't pitch and Kirk Douglas wouldn't
eat. We are guaranteed that
spending the day fasting with a contrite heart results in a complete spiritual
whitewashing of our tarnished soul. But our sages also assure us that there is no penance on this day for
sins committed towards our fellow man. The only way out of the guilt is to make an accounting of whomever you
may have wronged and to actively apologize for the misdeed. It's as if God is saying: "Just take
care of each other...I can handle myself just fine."
One caveat before I conclude: our sages
require that we keep our lives in balance. We can't seek all our holy moments wandering the streets
looking for those in need. Concern
for the environment, working in soup kitchens and giving blood is only half the
story. Yes, tikkun olam (healing the world) is a primary goal for our
people. But there is a formula to
achieve it that is crucial. Ethics
of the Fathers reminds us that the world stands on three things, Torah study,
service/prayer to God and acts of loving-kindness. Without service to God you have a learned, kind-hearted
individual who knows the insights of Torah but doesn't apply them in his or her
life, much like an ivory tower academic. Without Torah, you have a great connection with God and God's people but
no idea how to live on the divine pathway, no concept of the transcendent power
of the exacting performance of mitzvot. And finally, without loving-kindness you have a learned individual who
shows up regularly to the synagogue but is too preoccupied with lofty thoughts
to say hello or smile to passersby.
 God has given us a world with enormous
problems so that we can have a sense of partnership. The highest use of the gift of our free choice is choosing
to help our fellow man. If we
remember to focus on the journey rather than the goal, we'll see the trials
along the way as sacred opportunities.
One of my rabbis, Rabbi Nachum Braverman, recommends that the best way
to jumpstart a romantic relationship is to give repeatedly and even
unreasonably to the other person.
Similarly, if you are feeling down, just give to others and your self-esteem
will rally. And if you are feeling
sinful or neglectful of your relationship with God or just need an injection of
holiness in your life, just find someone less fortunate or a worthy
organization and give. Where is
God? Not only wherever we let God
in, but also wherever we pass it on.
May we open a space in our hearts so that we are flooded with heavenly
inspiration, and may we take that holy illumination and shine as a light unto
nations.
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New Videos for May!
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SPECIAL NEWS BULLETIN:
Sam Does Simchas!
You want your wedding or Bar/Bat Mitzvah to ROCK! Sam specializes in customizing music for your event to ensure that it will be unforgettable! With top musicians, great vocals, pro sound and lights...there are few bands that can deliver the same impact nationwide. The band draws upon the deepest repertoire in the Jewish world combined with  authentic rock, jazz, motown, disco and standards. Many clients opt to supplement their private event with a Sam Glaser concert or Shabbaton for the whole community. Whatever your needs, visit the Sam Glaser Orchestra site to learn more.
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The Latest From CAJE!
CAJE is back! Check out newCAJE.org! The Coaliton for Advancement in Jewish Education is an international group of educators, rabbis, cantors musicians and artists that gather together over 1200 strong each summer. They have invited me to perform annually for the past sixteen years and those concerts and workshops are some of the most fulfilling of my tour. Just to give you an idea of the serious fun and true unity, here are highlights from my 2006 show at Duke University. Sadly, the organization declared bankruptcy last year but there is now a grassroots newCAJE that is picking up where CAJE left off. The inaugural conference has just been announced for this August in Boston...get involved now!
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Thank you!
Thank you for reading, for listening, for your support and friendship.
Glaser MusicWorks
800-972-6694
Outside of the US 310-204-6111
sam@samglaser.com
1941 Livonia Av.
Los Angeles, California 90034
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