The First Album (Beged Kefet)

Description

The First Album includes songs of Jewish worship, Jewish folk tunes, and a few American folk songs. They’re beautiful, upbeat songs that are performed with rich vocal harmonies. Each piece was arranged and copyrighted by the composer unless noted below. This First Album features the following songs:

Track 01: Myriam Mendilow

Track 02: Hariu l’Adonai (words from Psalms 98:4, 100:5, music by Cantor Leon Sher)

Track 03: Yismekhu (words from Jewish liturgy, music by Rabbi Billy Dreskin)

Track 04: Shalom Aleychem (words from Psalms 96:11-12, Talmud Bavli Shabbat 119b, music by David Shneyer, arranged by Cantor Benjie Ellen Schiller)

Track 05: Let The Heavens Be Glad (words from Psalms 96:11, 133:1, Leviticus 25:10, music by Rob Weinberg, arranged by Cantor Riki Lippitz)

Track 06: Bayom Hahu (words from Zechariah 14:9, music by Rabbi Billy Dreskin)

Track 07: Mee Yagur (words from Psalms 15, music by Rabbi Billy Dreskin)

Track 08: Music Speaks Louder Than Words (words and music by Harold Payne, Edgar Pease III and Michael Scarpiello, arranged by Peter, Paul and Mary, additional arrangement by Cantor Leon Sher)

Track 09: Adonai, Adonai (words from Exodus 34:6-7 and Jewish liturgy, music by Cantor Leon Sher)

Track 10: Hava Nagilah (words by Moshe Nathanson, music from a 19^th century Sadigurer hasidic melody, arranged by Daniel Faktori)

Track 11: Avot (words from Jewish liturgy, music by Rabbi Billy Dreskin)

Track 12: Ivdu Et Hashem (words from Psalms 100:2, music by Cantor Leon Sher)

Track 13: Hal’luhu (words from Psalms 150, music by Cantor Benjie Ellen Schiller)

Track 14: Peace Is (words and music by Fred Small)

Track 15: Eilu Devarim (words from Talmud Bavli Shabbat 127a, music by Rabbi Billy Dreskin)

Track 16: Myriam Mendilow

Track 17: R’tzei (words from Jewish liturgy, music by Rabbi Billy Dreskin)

From 1982 until 2009, Beged Kefet was a tzedakah‑based music performance group that appeared across North America and Israel. Its members included Rabbi Les Bronstein, Rabbi Billy Dreskin, Cantor Ellen Dreskin, Cantor Riki Lippitz, Cantor Benjie Ellen Schiller, Beth Sher and Cantor Leon Sher. Beged Kefet made use of keyboard, guitar, flute, banjo, tof, and seven-person harmonies that would send audiences’ spirits soaring.  Every dollar that Beged Kefet earned was donated to Myriam’s Dream, which was dedicated to furthering the vision of Myriam Mendilow, founder of Lifeline for the Old in Israel, who devoted her life to preserving human dignity and promoting understanding, tolerance and respect for all people.

Through concert performances and recording sales, Beged Kefet sought to awaken human hearts and minds to the uniqueness and value of every human being, and to raise funds to support programs which translated this ideal into action.

Our thanks to original Beged Kefet members Kyla Schneider and Rabbi David Wolfman who (in Jerusalem) helped us to first find our voices, as well as to Rabbi John Schechter and recording engineer Skipp Tullen (z”l). Thanks as well to the artists who gave us permission to record their music, and to the many friends of Beged Kefet whose generous donations underwrote this project in its entirety.

credits