Hi, thank you for stopping by.
Looking forward to creating.
Bringing musical creativity and Jewish connection
I. Picture The Scene: At front center of the room, or stage, Bodi stands behind a keyboard piano, facing a room of 25-150 students and teachers, guiding them through a fast paced, highly interactive 40-60 minute workshop. Behind him is an elevated video screen showing diversely relevant clips within the program, including Shrek, Maccabeats, Rocky, Operation Jonathan/Raid on Entebbe, iconic and historic Israeli moments, Super Bowl, Olympics, children’s choir in Germany 1930s singing Hatikva, modern day Israel etc… Read More
Stage right is a whiteboard and volunteer student listing adjectives/descriptors that the audience students identify to describe: Israel, relevant musical pieces played, video segments shared, respective Jewish/Israel identity or connection, historic Jewish/Israeli episodes. Stage left is a 2nd whiteboard and volunteer student listing tunes within the performed original “Hope Beyond” composition (Hatikva, Kol HaOlam, Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, Jerusalem of Gold, Pop Hits) and musical compositional elements relevant, once identified by audience students and staff…
II. Why this brand of education/connection to Israel/Jewish identity: This program is a fun, inclusive, engaging, unifying workshop that demonstrates how Israel and powerful Jewish themes are pervasive in our culture, explores what makes these Jewish themes so powerful, and also allows participants to discover what makes them so personal, relevant and meaningful to us as individuals in our communities. Read More
This program utilizes music composition and performance, popular films and entertainment, technology and collaborative creativity, to teach and connect students to Israel in a way most memorable, relatable, thought provoking, interactive and inspiring.
This program is best suited for dynamic modernized elementary schools (4th-8th grade) and high schools that provide a warm, creative, expansive setting for informal education and connection, and the potential scheduling for related music performances/ruach, creative workshops, spiritual and communal connections.
III. Specifics Involved: The structure of this program parallels the structure of “Hope Beyond,” an original “mash-up” composition, written and globally performed by Bodi this past year, in honor of Israel’s 70th birthday. The composition incorporates Hatikva, Kol HaOlam, El Eretz Zvi, and other iconic Israeli/Jewish tunes, pointing to key moments and messages surrounding recent history Israel and Jewish history. Read More For example, Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah opens to discussion/education on Psalms/King David/IDF, diverse pop culture connections to Jewish/Israel themes and creations (Shrek, Olympics), incorporation of pop tunes into modern day Shabbat liturgy and Jewish rituals, and more. Kol HaOlam speaks to messages of determination/no-fear, Russian and global immigration, Jewish peoplehood, Rabbi Nachman and internal reflections etc… Jerusalem of Gold, Arim Roshi (Yom Hazikaron), El Eretz Zvi (Operation Jonathan), and others tunes, each speaki audio visually to their own respective cultural, historic, and educational themes. The program begins with the participants asked to consider why then tune and program are titled “Hope Beyond.” Participants later address what they see as the “Hope/Hatikva” message globally and personally, as well as their/our going “Beyond” to next chapters and levels …. (Israel, Jews, world, faith, unity, peace, personal roles and desired contributions to history etc….)Each of the 7 tunes included in the composition, serve as a chapter within the presentation, presented through music, film/pop references, and rich relevant educational content woven together.
IV. About Bodi: Bodi is a composer, producer, and singer who has worked in music and Jewish music for 25 years. He is the founding director of Spicerack Music, which provides performance services for bar/bat mitzvahs, weddings, and corporate events, and also provides musical composition/production services for film, tv, and advertising. As founder director of the Jewish performance group Bsamim, and as a solo artist as well, Bodi has been invited to communities around the world to help lead services, and serve as a songleader at significant Jewish events. Bodi has served as a performer and Jewish cultural ambassador around the world in 20+ countries, including: US, Israel, Ghana, Morocco, Germany, Ethiopia, and Mexico.
Additional Programming
Performance
a. Concerts/Performances
b. Shabbat Chazzan/Ruach/Singing
C. Song-leading, Band-leading
Workshops
Relevant topics include:
• Musical composition and production for studio, live performance, film/tv
• Infusion of songs into prayer, liturgy, and the shul experience, for Shabbat and Chagim
• Rhythmic development (especially for lower school)
• Collaborative song creation in real-time
• Songs to connect with other cultures/communities
• Focused 1 on 1 time with students passionately interested in furthering their musical abilities
Speaking Topics
• Stories and insights from around the globe as a performer, producer, social activist, and passionate Jew and Zionist.
• Kol Project, and how students and entire schools can participate in this worldwide initiative through music, video, tikun olam.
• Prayer, inspiration and self empowerment: anecdotes, rituals, acts of sharing, utilizing life’s challenges, drawing on personal experiences.
• Relevant themes from Kabbalah and the weekly Torah portion, coupled with interactive music, to engage deeper thought on Judaism and life’s purpose.
Clients & Partners
