• Credits

    • Music & lyrics by Ellie Flier

    • Produced by Josh Goldberg and Marty Rifkin

    • Instruments:

      • Ellie Flier: Acoustic guitar

      • Marty Rifkin: Bass, mandolin, dobro

      • Josh Goldberg: Acoustic guitar, background vocals

      • Sam Brawner: Percussion

    Behind the Song

    This is a non-traditional version of T’filat Haderech, the prayer for traveling. The idea was that whether or not we are away from home, there is a way to navigate this crazy road we call life that is filled with love and openness. How do we want to live our lives? We hope that the road ahead leads us to good places, but we also hope that we learn for the better from what we have left behind.

    Lyrics

    Let our steps be light
    And our thoughts unburdened
    May the stars be bright
    And our journeys certain

    Let us make new friends
    Call no one stranger
    Never meet dead ends
    And be led away from danger

    CHORUS:
    Please bless our road
    The journeys we have yet to travel on
    Please bless our road
    And may we learn from where we came from

    Let us not forget
    To stop and smell the flowers
    May we look ahead
    But live for every passing hour

    Let us stand our ground
    For the things that we believe in
    May we make a sound
    For those silenced and those lost in weeping 

    CHORUS

    For the times we don’t know where to go
    Give us the strength to press forward

    CHORUS

    Let our steps be light
    Let us make new friends
    Let us stand our ground
    Let us not forget

  • Credits

    • Hebrew Liturgy

    • Music and English lyrics by Ellie Flier, Max A. Kasler, and Josh Goldberg

    • Produced by Josh Goldberg and Marty Rifkin

    • Instrumentals:

      • Josh Goldberg: Acoustic guitar

      • Marty Rifkin: Upright bass, nylon string guitar, pedal steel

      • Sam Brawner: Percussion

    Behind the Song

    Sim Shalom was the first Jewish song I ever wrote. I began it the night after the Paris attacks in November of 2015. I felt like I needed to write something, but couldn’t figure out what to say. I realized it needed to be a prayer for peace, and so I went to my siddur and read through Sim Shalom.

    I didn’t finish the song then, however. In June of that year I attended my first Hava Nashira, a yearly workshop for Jewish music professionals, and brought the song to another young Jewish songwriter I met there, Max Kasler. Together we wrote out parts for the rest of the song, and when I came to L.A. to record the album with Josh Goldberg, he and I worked through the song once more to make it what you hear today.

    Terror attacks seem like a common occurrence these days, and I wanted this song to express that even though the world seems like a never ending cycle of hurt and sadness, we can’t stop praying for and working towards peace.

    Lyrics

    Sim shalom, sim shalom
    Tova uvracha, sim shalom

    Some days it seems the hurt will never end
    Some days we wonder what out there is next
    It’s not enough to fix, we have to mend
    Sim shalom, please bring us peace

    Sim shalom, sim shalom
    Tova uvracha, sim shalom

    Grant us mercy and the strength to love
    Grant us forgiveness for all we have done wrong
    We’ll feel your light and kindness shine from up above
    Sim shalom, please bring us peace

    Sim shalom, sim shalom
    (Please bring us peace)
    Tova uvracha, sim shalom

  • Credits

    • Music & lyrics by Ellie Flier

    • Produced by Josh Goldberg and Marty Rifkin

    • Instrumentals:

      • Ellie Flier: Acoustic guitar

      • Marty Rifkin: Bass, pedal steel, baritone guitar

      • Sam Brawner: Percussion

      • Josh Goldberg: Background vocals

    Behind the Song

    What does “and you shall love your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” truly mean? The V’ahavta prayer talks about how we remind ourselves to love God through ritual objects like the mezuzzah or t’filin. I believe that in order to show our love for God, we must love everyone and everything around us, and make that love the foundation of all of our actions.

    Lyrics

    Let love guide your hands
    As they touch the world
    Let love guide your lips
    As they speak kind words 

    Let love guide your legs
    When you leave your home
    Let love guide your ears
    When you listen close

    For we are all God’s hands
    For we are all God’s lips
    For we are all God’s legs
    And we are all God’s ears 
    And it’s up to us to love 

    There are signs in the world
    If we choose to see
    Such wonder in the world
    And in all living things

    And with all of our breath
    And all of our might
    We will set forth 
    To work for what’s right

    For we are all God’s hands
    For we are all God’s lips
    For we are all God’s legs
    And we are all God’s ears 
    And it’s up to us to love 

    V’ahavta
    V’ahavta
    And you shall love
    And you shall love
    And you shall love

    For we are all God’s hands
    For we are all God’s lips
    For we are all God’s legs
    And we are all God’s ears 
    And it’s up to us to love 

  • Credits

    • Biblical Hebrew Text

    • Music & English lyrics by Ellie Flier

    • Second verse lyrics adapted from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

    • Produced by Josh Goldberg and Marty Rifkin

    • Instrumentals:

      • Josh Goldberg: Piano

      • Hope Easton: Cello

    Behind the Song

    I’ve always loved the versions of Dodi Li that I grew up singing, but I always wished there was one with poetic English lyrics.

    The first verse of the song is a poetic interpretation of the Hebrew words, but I was at a loss as to what the second verse could be until I went searching for outside inspiration… and found it in Romeo and Juliet. 

    Lyrics

    Dodi li va’ani lo 
    Haroeh, haroeh bashoshanim
    Haroeh bashoshanim, dodi li 

    All I am is yours
    All I am is yours
    All I am, and all I’ll ever be is yours

    Dodi li va’ani lo 
    Haroeh, haroeh bashoshanim
    Haroeh bashoshanim, dodi li 

    My love is as boundless as the sea,
    My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
    The more I have, for both are infinite to me

    Dodi li va’ani lo 
    Haroeh, haroeh bashoshanim
    Haroeh bashoshanim, dodi li

  • Credits

    • Hebrew by Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav

    • Music and English lyrics by Ellie Flier

    • Produced by Josh Goldberg and Marty Rifkin

    • Instrumentals

      • Ellie Flier - acoustic guitar

      • Josh Goldberg - acoustic guitar, BGV, keyboard whirlie

      • Marty Rifkin - bass, electric guitar

      • Sam Brauner - drums

    Behind the Song

    I have always been fascinated by the famous Hebrew phrase from Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav, “The whole world is narrow bridge, but the important thing is not to be afraid.”

    The most well-known melody for this song, even though it will always have a favorite of mine, always seemed too dark and sad for a song about strength in the face of adversary.

    And how better to gain strength than to stand together as a community? This song has three sections that weave together. In order to sing the complete song, you must join your voice with others.

    Lyrics

    Kol ha-o-lam ku-lo gesher tzar me-od

    The whole world is a narrow bridge
    A very, very narrow bridge

    V'ha-i-kar, v’ha-i-kar
    Lo l'fached, lo l'fached klal

    And the main thing to recall
    Is not to be afraid at all
    And the main thing to recall
    Is not to be, not to be afraid at all

    The world is a very narrow bridge
    Don’t be afraid at all

  • Credits

    • Hebrew Liturgy

    • Music by Ellie Flier

    • “Holy One, give me a quiet heart” was written by Chaim Stern and found in the prayerbook Mishkan T’filah (CCAR Press 2007)

    • Produced by Josh Goldberg and Marty Rifkin

    • Duet line sung by Chava Mirel

    • Chava’s vocals produced by Josh Niehaus​

    • Instrumentals

      • Ellie Flier: Classical guitar 

      • Marty Rifkin; Fretless bass, pedal steel, electric guitar, harmonica

    Behind the Song

    I first came across the line “Holy One, give me a quiet heart” while in services one Friday night. It was such a simple yet meaningful statement that summed up everything that I love about silent prayer.

    Especially in the ever-deafening noise of the world around us, it is so important to be able to be still and listen to the quiet of your heart. 

    Lyrics

    Holy One, give me a quiet heart

    Elohai n’tzor l’shoni meira 
    Usfatai midabeir mirmah

    Holy One, give me a quiet heart

    Yihyu l’ratzon imrei fi
    V’hegyon libi l’fanecha 
    Adonai tzuri, tzuri v’goali
    Adonai tzuri v’goali

    Holy One, give me a quiet heart

  • Credits

    • Hebrew Liturgy

    • Music & English lyrics by Ellie Flier and Josh Goldberg

    • Produced by Josh Goldberg and Marty Rifkin

    • Duet line sung by Josh Goldberg

    • Instrumentals:

      • Josh Goldberg: Acoustic guitar, piano

      • Gabe Witcher: Violin

      • Sam Brawner: Percussion

      • Marty Rifkin: Bass, dobro, pedal steel

    Behind the Song

    Josh Goldberg and I wrote this song when I was visiting L.A. one summer, long before I ever thought of doing an album, let alone with him as my producer!

    We decided that we wanted to write a kid’s song that incorporated English “repeat after me” lyrics for a prayer that may not be often explained and translated to children. 

    Lyrics

    Ahavat olam beit yisrael
    Am’cha ahavta
    Ahavat olam, ahavat olam

    Thank you for the Torah
    Thank you for your love
    Thank you for the blessings
    You send from up above

    Ahavat olam beit yisrael
    Am’cha ahavta
    Ahavat olam, ahavat olam

     You gave us the commandments
    To teach us wrong from right
    Please be with us always
    As we try to live good lives

    Ahavat olam beit yisrael
    Am’cha ahavta
    Ahavat olam, ahavat olam

  • Credits

    • Music & lyrics by Ellie Flier

    • Produced by Josh Goldberg and Marty Rifkin

    • Instrumentals:

      • Ellie Flier: Acoustic guitar

      • Josh Goldberg: Acoustic guitar, background vocals

      • Beth Alex: Violin

      • Julian Javor: Additional strings

      •  Choir: 

        • Emily Siner, Lisa Forberg, Cantor Tracy Fishbein, Jacob Ruden, Josh Goldberg, Sarah Ruden

    Behind the Song

    “May We” is the song that sparked the album. Not only does the line “pray for open eyes” come from this song, but what the song meant to me and the message it sends to the world are what I wanted to album to emulate. 

    I wrote this song on Halloween night, 2016. It was just over a week before the presidential election. We as a country had gone through a hellish campaign period where racism and violence had reared their ugly heads. I had also just come out of the Jewish high holiday period, which had been a very positive and meaningful experience. I was ready to put all the ugliness behind me in anticipation of the election. 

    I started thinking about what it truly means to have a “shana tova” -- literally, a “good year.” It was all about my hopes for the future, and how we were going to heal from everything that had happened before.

    Now, after the situation has become so much worse than I ever could have imagined, the song is now even more important to me and to everyone else who listens to it.

    Lyrics

    May we always be forgiven
    May we search for ways to grow
    May we always have compassion
    For those we know and those we don't

     May we seek a brighter future
    Find answers in actions, not in words
    May we question what we know
    And may we always question status quo

    Shana tova
    Shana tova
    Shana tova u'metukah

    May we seek out our reflections
    To learn from the mistakes of our past
    May we not just light the way for others
    But teach them how to light their own path

    Shana tova
    Shana tova
    Shana tova u'metukah

    So we pray for opened eyes
    And we pray once more for peace
    We pray for those in need of healing and of love
    We pray to shine in our beliefs 

    Shana tova
    Shana tova
    Shana tova u'metukah