Beyond 12 Gates

Michael Shapiro has a new website (still under construction). He also has a new CD, River From Eden.

Of his five old CDs, my favorite is "The Sparkle of Sunlight" but they are all worth purchasing. They are very beautiful and very deep, about as far from Shiny Shoe music as has ever been written. They are certainly not for everyone but they will move you profoundly if you care to focus.

To my knowledge, the five old CDs (there is a sixth album but it was only produced in cassette form and is not currently available; the master has been lost) were written and produced while Michael was a ba'al teshuva, deeply influenced by Breslov Chassidus. Since then, he has turned away from traditional Orthodox Chassidus and joined the Jewish Renewal movement. He currently teaches classes in Phoenix, AZ.

The new CD was written and produced recently. I have ordered it but not yet received it. It will be interesting to hear how his music has developed as his views of Yiddishkeit have changed.

PLEASE NOTE: The "Teachings" section of the website is based on the "Jewish Renewal" view of Torah and is not mainstream Orthodoxy. I do not endorse or recommend it. Indeed, I was reluctant to link to the site itself but there is no denying the beauty and depth of his music.