With Rosh Hashanah around the corner, I wanted to share this live rendition of “Shofar,” originally composed and sung by Motty Ilowitz, which I had the privilege of performing together with the Mendy H Band & Shira Choir.
The song tells the powerful story of the Minchas Elazar of Munkatch zt"l, and the cry of a child who simply wanted to hear the shofar.
A story that became a powerful reminder of the bond between a father and his children, and our own cry to the Ribono Shel Olam.
May we all be zoche to a כתיבה וחתימה טובה
Credits:
Originally Composed: Motty Ilowitz
Performed: Shaya Lebron & Child soloist Shaya Goldman
Music: Mendy H Band
Arranged: Mendy Herskowitz
Choir: The Shira Choir led by Yoely Horowitz
Vocal Post-production: Moshe Yakob
Mix: Shloime Wechter
Teleprompter: Motty Adler - PrompTeller
Video Filmed: Motty Engel
Video Edit: Momo
Cover Design: VigiGee
Media & Marketing: SolBlum
A carefully crafted medley built around the compositions of Anshi Friedman, whose distinctive melodies have become beloved through the music of Avrum Mordche Schwartz.
Freilach Band brings these songs together in a new arrangement featuring three extraordinary voices, Motty Steinmetz, Beri Weber and Zanvil Weinberger, joined by the Shira Choir.
Chana, the mother of the great Shmuel Hanavi, came to the Mishkan in Shiloh with a broken, hopeful heart. She poured out her soul before Hashem, ואשפוך את נפשי לפני ה׳, asking for the gift of a child who would grow to bring the word of Hashem into the world.
Her tefillah became the model for all of us. From Chana, we learn how to daven—not with noise or volume, but with sincerity, intention, and a heart that is truly present before Hashem. חנה מדברת על לבה
On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, we read the Haftorah of Shmuel, which includes Tefillas Chana. For those waiting for the gift of children, it is a particularly powerful and auspicious (מסוגל) time to cry out to Hashem during the Haftorah, as Chana did.
Yes, I have seen such a yeshuah in my own family.
But Chana’s tefillah belongs to all of us. Whatever we are carrying, whatever we are hoping for, whatever we need from Hashem—there is something in her tefillah that speaks to every heart.
I hope this song inspires us to daven a little deeper, to open our hearts a little wider, and to remember the incredible power of a sincere tefillah.
May all of our tefillos be accepted, like Chana’s, and may we be zocheh to a kesivah v’chasimah tovah and the Geulah Shleimah, b’karov. אמן ואמן
Thank you, Hashem, the giver of life and everything in it, for enabling me to bring this song to the world and to continue to compose songs for your cherished nation עם ישראל ….קטונתי מכל החסדים. May we all merit to see your kindness continuously
A special thank you to my dear friend Shulem Lemmer, the golden voice of klal Yisroel. Thank you for elevating this track, everything you sing becomes better. Hopefully, your addition to the track will inspire many thousands around the world to daven with a more open heart, like chana 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Credits
Composed and Written by: Yitzy Waldner
Sung by: Yitzy Waldner, Shulem Lemmer
Music Produced by: Yanky Posen
Mixed by: Avrumy Lunger and Yanky Posen
Mastered by: Omri Bar Hod
Video Credits
Video Produced by: Motty Berkowitz
1st Ac: Saksham Bharti
Gaffer: Shaurya Chopra
Grip: Alexis Montesinos
Set Designer: Moshe Leib Gross
Child Actor: Mendy Ackerman
Shul Location: Young Israel Beth El
00:00 קוה אל השם (בערי קרויס)
00:54 השם אורי (משה גולדמן)
01:59 אחת שאלתי (מב"ד)
03:41 אחת שאלתי (קרליבך)
05:30 אחת שאלתי (ניגון בוסטון)
06:23 אם תחנה (יידל ורדיגר)
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A heartfelt cry from the soul of Klal Yisrael — a timeless prayer for Hashem’s kindness and mercy, both personally and as a nation.
With humility, we turn to Hashem and beseech Him to embrace us with chesed and rachamim; to turn away His anger from His nation, Am Yisrael; His city, Yerushalayim; His land, Eretz Yisrael; and His inheritance, the Beis Hamikdash.
These words are part of our daily tefillos and are also recited in the Selichos of Edot HaMizrach. As we approach the Yamim Noraim, their meaning takes on a particular depth.
On Rosh Hashanah we proclaim Hashem’s sovereignty over all creation. We stand before Him as His people, bearing the ancient and unbroken yearning of generations — for Yerushalayim, for the Beis Hamikdash, and for the Geulah Sheleimah.
U’v’tuvcha HaGadol gives voice to that yearning.
CREDITS | קרדיטים
Composers | לחן: Mordechai Ben David & Eli Laufer
Producers | הפקה: Yeedle & Zevi Fried
Additional Music Production | הפקה מוזיקלית נוספת: Nir Graff
Arrangers | עיבוד: Nir Graff, Eli Laufer & Moshe Laufer
Vocal Editing | עריכת שירה: Eli Klein & Yossi Tyberg
Choir | מקהלה: Moishy Roth
Duduk | דודוק: Ilia Mazia
Mixing & Mastering | מיקס ומאסטר: Eli Lishinsky
Cover Art | עיצוב עטיפה: Shneur Cortez