A month before

    September 11th there was August 9, 2001 — the bombing of the

    Sbarro Pizza restaurant in central Jerusalem. One of the

    people murdered there, 15-year-old flutist and songwriter

    Malki Roth, was by all accounts a cheerful spirit who

    volunteered with special needs youngsters like her sister.

    After her death, Malki’s family found a song she had

    composed, “Shir Lismoach/Song of Rejoicing”:

   

   

    “You’re alive,

    breathing, moving/That’s a good start,” it went. The way

    things have been going for Israel, it’s not just a cruel

    irony: it’s a fine lyric to remember.

   

    As this CD’s

    producer, Jordan B. Gorfinkel, went about corralling dozens

    of Jewish-music soloists into a giant choir for a Jewish “We

    are the World” kind of Israel-solidarity project, Malki’s

    song came to his attention, and so it is a featured part of

    this unique two-CD set. One disc doubles as a video, taking

    you to Israel.

   

    Over 50 men

    agreed to participate in this project, which includes 35

    songs performed by “Jewish music stars” across the spectrum

    of observance, from the Reform rabbis of Kol B’Seder to the

    yeshiva boys of Beat’achon, from Joe Black to the black-hatted

    Shloime Dachs, from the U.S. to Jerusalem.

   

    To stretch this

    far, producer Gorfinkel made it an all-male project, as

    mixed-voice choirs are a non-starter in the “ultra-orthodox”

    world. That having been said, the set is a worthy

    achievement.

   

    An “all-star

    anthem” called “Chazak Amenu: We Stand as One,” with

    both Hebrew and English lyrics, anchors the event — and this

    is an event. There’s a track reserved for these individual

    singers, most from previously released albums of their own,

    and each related, in some way, to Israel or peace. No

    listener will be thrilled with every track, of course, but I

    doubt if anybody will go home hungry.

   

    There’s a Sim

    Shalom from the perennial Paul Zim, Sam Glaser’s “In

    Israel,” and from the Israeli singer Sandy Shmuely, a tender

    lullaby worth learning in Hebrew and using with your own

    little ones, “Tishan Yeled/Sleep Child.”

   

    Rabbi Joe Black,

    who wears a cowboy hat and serves a Reform congregation in

    New Mexico, delivers a powerful brotherhood message in “I

    Remember You” (“we are not bound by hate/but by our

    memory”). Gorfinkle’s own group, Beat’achon, the smoothest a

    cappella crooners since the Beach Boys, handles Hatikva

    with a rich blend of poignant harmony and comfort.

   

   

    And then there’s

    Malki’s Song. Technical producer for this project was Yehuda

    Cik, a “Jewish music star” in his own right — like the

    Broadwaplay Oklahoma!, he goes by the performance

    name of Yehuda!.

   

    Cik, a talented

    arranger as well as a sweet-voiced singer, orchestrated “Shir

    Lismoach” and recorded it here with Malki Roth’s

    favorite Israeli singer, Yishay Lapidot. The effect here is,

    as it should be, troubling: bouncy, optimistic words and a

    sprightly melody professionally produced and made famous

    because its inspired young composer was murdered in the

    midst of hatred.

   

    So this set,

    Voices for Israel, is not only for sale, and not only to

    raise funds to aid terror victims in Israel, but also to

    testify that singing out about Israel is as good a way as

    any to remind ourselves what those words mean, “shalom al

    yisrael.”

   

    When you visit

    www.voicesforisrael.org, follow the link to the Malki

    Foundation, too.

   

    Hint:

    www.kerenmalki.org.