Abie Rotenberg

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Abie Rotenberg (Hebrew: אברהם רוטנברג) is a well known Orthodox Jewish musician, composer and entertainer from Toronto, Canada. He has been producing music since the mid 1970s with a style which has been described as "soft and sweet"^[1] with a strong folk influence.

Rotenberg grew up in Queens, New York surrounded by other up and coming religious Jewish musicians, including Eli Teitelbaum who directed the first Pirchei boys choir, as well as Rabbi Baruch Chait and Leibel Scharfman who attended yeshiva with him. Rotenberg studied piano and taught himself guitar at a young age.^[2]

[edit] Musical career

Rotenberg has cited musicians Rabbi Benzion Shenker and Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach as strong influences.^[3] While his folk-inspired sound and inspirational lyrics are strongly reminiscent of Carlebach, Rotenberg's soft and sometimes melancolic voice, however, contrast with Carlebach's ecstatic style. Rotenberg has collaborated with other Jewish musicians including Mordechai ben David, Avraham Fried, Yehuda Schechter and Shlomo Simcha with whom he co-starred in Israel National Radio's Miracles 18 concert.^[4]

Rotenberg has also been a main fixture of the annual HASC A Time for Music concerts. These concerts which have been held for the last 2 decades in venues such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden benefit the Hebrew Academy for Special Children, a non-profit organization providing educational and clinical services to children with developmental problems.^[5] He has produced a children's audio series called the Marvelous Midos Machine composed of 3 volumes, with all original material. Rotenberg has said that wanted to raise awareness of different traits inherent in each child through this series.^[6]

[edit] Discography

• Dveykus: Volumes 1-6

• Journeys: Volumes 1-4

• Lev VeNefesh: Volumes 1 & 2

• The Golden Crown

• Aish: Volumes 1 & 2

• A Time to Laugh

• The Marvelous Middos Machine: Volumes 1-3

• Kol Salonika

[edit] References