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Music of VBS
The Music of VBS
Music plays a great role within VBS culture.
The sounds of VBS are unique to our synagogue; our melodies carry with them our history and soul.
Experience the music of VBS at a variety of prayer experiences including Friday evening services such as Rimonim Shabbat, T'marim Sephardic Shabbat and Shabbat Farbrengen. Learn more here >
Listen to Or Hadash, our 5783 High Holiday album below!
Cantor Jacqueline Rafii
VBS Senior Cantor Rafii is a published composer of Jewish music and a classically trained pianist. She performs Jewish music in Hebrew, Farsi, Ladino, and English. Cantor Rafii earned her JD from UCLA School of Law and practiced entertainment law for three years, representing major and upcoming artists. For her cantorial Master's Thesis, she conducted original fieldwork in the area of preserving, notating, and disseminating Persian Jewish prayer melodies.
Cantor Phil Baron
VBS Cantor Phil Baron (see bio) has written and recorded a number of soundtracks, which can be sampled in the playlists below. He has also composed a number of productions receiving national publicity including David's Quilt, an original libretto about biblical King David that premiered at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. Learn more about Cantor Baron's role in David's Quilt >
Cantor Herschel Fox
VBS is also home to long-time Cantor Herschel Fox. Cantor Fox (see bio) infuses his music and service leading with true Yiddishkeit and soulful passion. He also directs the VBS children’s Chazzanut (cantorial) class which helps lead Shabbat morning services.
Chris Hardin
Former VBS Music Director Chris Hardin is a composer, orchestrator, music director, conductor and performer. Learn more >
Listen Now
Kabbalat Shabbat
Rimonim
Come as you are. Leave transformed. Reach into your soul through song, prayer and dance. Click here to learn more about Rimonim >
Listen to the Rimonim audio tracks below by clicking on each linked title:
- Fly Away (Ara Dinkjian)
- Shalom Aleichem (Shmuel Brazil)
- Y'did Nefesh (Ehud and Sara Zweig)
- L'chu N'ran'nah (R. Zirotkin)
- Shiru L'Adonai (Psalm 96) (Shlomo Carlebach)
- Ohr Zarua (traditional)
- Shiru L'Adonai (Psalm 98) (Moshe Nathanson)
- Havu L'Adonai (Shlomo Carlebach)
- L'cha Dodi (Phil Baron and Chris Hardin)
- Ahavat Olam (Eric Mandell)
- Mi Chamocha/Malchutcha (Stephen Schwartz, Phil baron and Noreen Green)
- V'shamru (Moshe Rothblum)
- Oseh Shalom
- Chatzi Kaddish (Phil Baron)
- Aleinu (Phil Baron and Chris Hardin)
- Adon Olam (Phil Baron and Chris Hardin)
Produced by Cantor Phil Caron and Chris Hardin
Sanctuary
Listen to the audio tracks below by clicking on each linked title:
- Bar'chu
- L'dor Vador
- Ahavat Olam
- L'cha Dodi
- Yism'chu
- Hashkiveinu
- L'cha Adonai
- Yotzeir Atah
- Yiram Hayam
- R'faeinu
- Rom'mu
Ayekah
In preparation for the High Holidays in 2016, VBS unveiled a multi-platform, immersive campaign to draw our community together and gain collective perspective, inspiration and self-discovery. This carefully thoughtful soundtrack of spiritual “nigunim” were used for meditation, contemplation, and reflection. Click here to learn more about Ayekah >
Listen to the audio tracks below by clicking on each linked title:
- OLAM CHESED (Menachem Creditor)
- THE LADDER (Mordechai Twersky)
- MEDITATION (Phil Baron)
- M’LO CHOL HA’ARETZ (Phil Baron)
- NIGUN (Shlomo Carlebach)
- HALLELUYA (Phil Baron)
- YA SH’MA (traditional)
- AYEKAH (Phil Baron/Asher Levy)
CREDITS
Cantor Phil Baron (vocals)
Asher Levy (guitars, oud, mandolin, harmonium, piano)
Jamie Papish (percussion)
Miguel Atwood Ferguson (viola, violin)
Norik Manukyan (duduk, shvi, clarinet, zurna)
Kiernan Weggler (cello)
Additional vocals – Liza Baron, Marc Ginsburg, Shana Leon, Asher Levy
Recorded and Mastered by Tom Weir at Studio City Sound, Los Angeles
Produced by Phil Baron and Asher Levy
Manufactured by Private Label Music
Shabbat Shira Tunes
VBS Tfilot
Listen to the audio tracks below by clicking on each linked title:
- Adonai Z'charnu
- Aleinu
- Amidah Weekday
- B'tseit Israeil
- Bar'chu Friday Night
- Bar'chu Weekday
- Baruch Sh'amar - B'rachot Only
- Baruch Sh'amar - cut version
- Baruch Sh'amar
- Blessings after the Haftarah
- Birchot Hashachar
- Birkat Hamazon
- Blessings before the Haftarah
- Chatzi Kaddish
- Hal'lu - from Hallel
- Hal'lu
- Havdalah
- Hodu
- K'dushah Weekday
- Kaddish Shaleim
- Ki L'cha Tov
- L'ma'an Tizk'ru
- Ma Ashiv LaAdonai
- Mi Chamocha Weekday
- Modeh Ani
- Odcha Ki Anitani
- Pitch Li - Aloni
- Pitchu Li - Carlebach
- Sh'ma - V'ahavta
- Shabbat Candle Blessing
- Tallit Blessing
- Torah Blessings
- Torah Service
- V'shamru - Kiddush
Cantor Herschel Fox
Listen to the audio tracks below by clicking on each linked title:
High Holidays
Listen to some of the traditional Selichot melodies recorded by Artist-in-Residence, Asher Levy
Former VBS Music Director Chris Hardin
- Adon Olam
- Ahavat Olam
- Ana B'coach
- Barchu
- Hashkiveinu
- Koh Amar
- L'cha Dodi
- L'chu Neranna
- Shalom Aleichem
- Shalom Rav
- V'shamru
Stay tuned for more VBS music to come, including Musical Musaf and Meditation.
Wed, June 7 2023
18 Sivan 5783
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Adult Learning
- Hazak
- Sayva: A New Approach to Positive Aging
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- Weekly Torah Study with Rabbi Feinstein
- Shabbat Shiur
- VBS College of Jewish Studies
- Miller Introduction to Judaism (AJU) at VBS
- VBS Book Club
- Lunch and Learn
- The Inner Life of Men
- Adult B'nai Mitzvah Program
- OurSpace: The Artistic Spectrum of Jewish Learning for Adults
- Melton School
- Watch VBS TV!
- New Media Project Archive
- VBS YouTube Video Archives
- Harold M. Schulweis Institute
- Music and Dramatic Arts