The Folk-Rock Rabbi takes listeners on a musical journey with the re-release of 'A Knock at the Door' and 'The Promised Land'
(New York) As Gedalya, better known as the folk-rock rabbi, continues looking back at his long music journey, two early songs from the prolific artist's catalog have recently received a new look as the artist has worked to bring some of his earliest songs to a new generation.
Gedalya has been sharing his music with audiences since the '90s, each sharing a part of Gedalya's life and experience, but few he said have been as personal as A Knock at the Door and The Promised Land, and now with this fresh take on the two classic songs, Gedalya can reflect on what those times and these songs mean, more than 20 years on.
"Many of my songs reflect my emotional and spiritual journey in life and music," Gedalya said. "These two songs may have been written at different times, but in that regard, they hold a special connection to my heart and to lessons learned at those times."
With A Knock at the Door, he recounts is a song about a Holocaust survivor that he first met while living in Miami Beach.
"His name was Rabbi Grosz," Gedalya said. "He was a funny man with a kind heart and a warm welcome."
Gedalya proudly accepted life lessons from Grosz, who spoke and wrote about his family's experience through the Holocaust. Those experiences can be seen as a direct link to Gedalya's music, especially A Knock at the Door.
"We would travel together and visit school children, he would tell his stories of surviving the holocaust, and I would share this song," Gedalya said. "It was a beautiful and fulfilling experience, and I am proud to continue to share it with my audience."
Dating to before A Knock at the Door, he wrote the second part of the recent mashup, The Promised Land, after experiencing concentration camp sites in Poland.
"Before, I had been ashamed of my Jewish heritage," Gedalya said. "Following that experience, I found my way back to the faith and felt that spirit as I wrote the song."
Ultimately, he hopes with the recent release of A Knock at the Door and The Promised Land, his fans, new and old, feel Gedalya's deep connection to his faith and can take meaning from it.