Josh Warshawsky
Josh Warshawsky | |
|---|---|
| Born | Deerfield, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | Contemporary Jewish music |
| Occupation | Rabbi · musician · composer · educator |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels | Chaverai Nevarech Music |
| Website | joshwarshawsky |
Rabbi Josh Warshawsky is an American rabbi, composer, song-leader and nationally touring Jewish musician. He is best known for the multivolume Chaverai Nevarech albums and for spreading participatory Hebrew liturgy in North American synagogues, summer camps and schools.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Warshawsky was raised in Deerfield, Illinois, where he sang in school choirs and learned guitar at age 10.[2] Active in Camp Ramah in Wisconsin and United Synagogue Youth, he credits those experiences for nurturing his leadership and love of Jewish music.[1] He completed a joint B.A. in Religion (Columbia University) and Talmud and Rabbinics (Jewish Theological Seminary) in 2012, and was ordained a rabbi at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles in May 2019.[2][3]
Career
[edit]Music
[edit]Warshawsky released a 5-song debut EP, Ruchi V’nishmati, in 2013, followed by his first full-length album Mah Rabu (2015), funded on the Jewcer platform.[4] A live album, Chaverai Nevarech (2018), launched a continuing series that now comprises four volumes.[5] Warshawsky tours extensively, having shared original melodies with more than 150 Jewish communities across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Israel.[3] He is on the core faculty of Songleader Boot Camp and returns annually to Camp Ramah as a musician-in-residence.
Rabbinic leadership
[edit]From 2013 to 2016 Warshawsky served as the first artist-in-residence at Temple Beth Am and Pressman Academy (Los Angeles).[6] He was rabbi-in-residence of the Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago (2020–2023).[7] In 2024 he became rabbi of Congregation Agudas Achim in Bexley, Ohio.[8]
Musical style and themes
[edit]Reviewers describe Warshawsky’s work as folk-rock infused contemporary liturgy that functions as “midrash in sound,” enabling congregants to internalize Hebrew texts through simple, easily harmonized melodies.[2] His settings of “Yedid Nefesh,” “Lecha Dodi (Hachamah),” and “El Baruch” have been adopted widely in Conservative and Reform worship.[9]
Discography
[edit]| Year | Title | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Ruchi V’nishmati | EP | Debut release |
| 2015 | Mah Rabu | Album | First full-length studio album |
| 2018 | Chaverai Nevarech | Live album | Recorded at Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles |
| 2021 | Chaverai Nevarech Vol. II: The Shabbos EP | EP | Seven Kabbalat Shabbat tracks |
| 2022 | Chaverai Nevarech Vol. III | Album | Studio album and video series |
| 2025 | Chaverai Nevarech Vol. IV | Album | Includes “Wedding Medley” |
Personal life
[edit]Warshawsky lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife, educator Adina Allen, and their children.[3]
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Schwartz, Jack (10 February 2020). "Jewish Values and Experiences Inspire Josh Warshawsky's Music". USCJ Journeys. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ a b c "A Rabbi Inspires Many with His Soulful Music". Jewish Theological Seminary. 21 June 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ a b c "Booking". JoshWarshawsky.com. 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ "Mah Rabu! A Josh Warshawsky Album". Jewcer. 12 August 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ "Chaverai Nevarech – Spotify". Spotify. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ "Bio". Wix. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ "Our Community: Someday…Is Here". Detroit Jewish News. 17 March 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ "Rabbi Josh Warshawsky". Congregation Agudas Achim. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ "The Reform Movement Is Alive With the Sound of Music". The Times of Israel. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2025.