Author: Hazzan Asa Fradkin

What are we building?

September 13, 2019

In about 15 minutes my Dad is going to arrive to help me put up my Sukkah. It takes me back to our home in Baltimore circa 1995 when we …

From Dayton to El Paso: Rediscovering the value of human life.

August 9, 2019

It’s hard to know what to say anymore. 253 mass shootings in 2019 alone in America and people are devastated. Just check out this Time Cover listing every city with …

The Cantors Take Italy- And You’re Invited!

July 12, 2019

Question- and stay with me here- have you ever hung out with a group of Cantors? You might be thinking “ Wow, I’m imagining a bunch of people talking over …

Expanding Our Jewish World Through Music

June 20, 2019

As I sat in on the final rehearsal for the Bima To Broadway To Beltway concert listening to a rendition of “Gesher” by Judith Silver, I couldn’t help thinking how …

Nusach- It’s not just for Cantors anymore

June 7, 2019

Tomorrow night  I will be teaching a class for Tikkun Leil Shavuot on the beauty of Nusach ( The Soul of Jewish Music) as I call it. Before we continue, some …

Why Do(n’t) You Go To Shul?

May 9, 2019

I once had a colleague that said- tongue and cheek- the reason he became a Rabbi was to make the service seem faster- since it always seems to progress more …

Faith Expectations- “Jews want their Rabbi to be the kind of Jew they don’t have the time to be”

April 12, 2019

Rabbis and Cantors are known for reusing material for sermons, songs, teachings, concerts, what have you.  I usually try to avoid that if I can absolutely help it; sometimes, though, …

Guess what, you ARE Religious

March 15, 2019

When I was growing up in Baltimore, I had a lot of family most of whom were somewhat observant and one side of my dad‘s family that were ultra orthodox. …

What’s in a Parsha?

February 15, 2019

If you are a regular shul goer, you may not have been surprised to hear the recent Pew Study. Essentially, it says that shul goers are 11% more likely than …

Meditating with Teens

January 11, 2019

Meditating with Teens A couple of teens rushed up to me at the last second and asked if I still had space in the class. Pleasantly surprised, I scribbled their …