Robbi Sherwin, the hazzanit

from Congregation Kol

Halev of Austin, Texas, recently

spent a year in Colorado

serving as a chaplain for the

US Air Force Academy and as

a guest cantor at two congregations.

The experience

changed Sherwin forever, and

she decided to document this

spiritual growth with her second

studio album, Aish

Hakodesh. Since Sherwin is

also a member of the American

southwest’s Sababa

ensemble, she recruited more

than one Sababa cohort in

making the album.

Sonically, Aish Hakodesh is

mostly mid-tempo feel-good

adult rock. Sherwin does

vary her offerings though.

The title track serves as an

energetic opener, "Barchu"

is appropriately an atmospheric

call to prayer and

"V’shamru" is pure banjopickin’

fun that she calls

"Jewgrass." Thematically,

the album varies quite a bit

as well, with most of the

tracks exploring traditional

Jewish texts and a generous

dose of American spiritual

awakening. Possibly the

most extremely preachy and

political moment on the

album takes place on Sherwin’s

revised "Hu Ya’aseh,"

where she urges us, "God

can’t do it alone / We’ve got

to do out part…. / Spread

over us Your shelter of peace

today / From Jerusalem to

Gaza and the USA."