Music
For as long as Shlomo Rechnitz can remember himself, singing and music have been a part of his life. His first musical inspiration was his mother, herself an accomplished pianist and the granddaughter of Cantor Israel Schorr; he and his twin brother sang together in their cribs.
The Hebrew word for "song is "shir." In Hebrew, Shir is also an acronym for Shlomo's full name: Shlomo Yehudah Rechnitz. And that's no coincidence, as music is where Shlomo's heart is. That original inner connection to music finds expression in Shlomo's compositions. To date, he's put out three music albums — Shir 1, Shir 2, and Shir 3 — as well as a number of singles and a separate album in honor of his daughter's wedding called Matana Tovah.
Shir 1
The Shir albums debuted in 2014. Each one follows the same motif: songs composed mostly by Shlomo and performed by some of the top Jewish singers in the world today, including Mordechai ben David, Levi Falkowitz, Avraham Fried, Eitan Katz, Baruch Levine, Yaakov Schwekey, Moti Steinmetz, Shmueli Ungar, and more.
Shir was an instant hit in the world of Jewish music. What set it apart was the fusion of musical innovation and the familiar sound of traditional Jewish melodies. Songs like El HaNa'ar HaZeh, V'Sei'arev and Etz Chaim became wildly popular and are still going strong eight years later. Shomer Yisroel, written after the tragic abduction and murder of three Israeli teenagers and released as a single, is another beloved song from this album. All proceeds from Shir went to Keren HaShvi'is, an organization that supports farmers in Israel.
The sampler can be found here.
Shir 2
Shir 2 hit the shelves two years after Shir and was no less a success. One of the biggest hits on the album wasn't even sung by a well-known performer; VaTomar, sung by Moshe Mendlowitz, has become an international favorite. Rachmana, another well-received song, was sung together by one of the oldest and youngest stars of Jewish music: Mordechai ben David and Moti Steinmetz. The album benefited Oorah, an organization that helps unaffiliated Jews reconnect with their roots.
View the sampler here.
Shir 3
Shir 3 had to compete with its predecessors. It did, and again delivered songs that gained worldwide acclaim. Lecha Amar and Liba B'aui were two of the top picks around the world, as was HaMalach/The Real Vaccine, written in the wake of Covid-19. All proceeds from Shir 3 were donated to the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation.
A brief sampler can be found here.