Today’s Enlightening Entertainment will be presented in Hebrew, Yiddish, and English, with subtitles in Arabic, Aulacese (Vietnamese), Chinese, English, French, German, Hebrew, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Mongolian, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Thai.

We have a little melody That brings pleasure and joy. That brings pleasure and joy. When we sing it It sounds so beautiful This melody was sung by Grandma and Grandpa when they were children, When they were still little children.

Like this, this is our tune that sounds so lively, So joyfully, so nicely, Sing, children! Like this, this is our tune that sounds so lively, May we all so cheerful be.

World Jewish music artist Ms. Robyn Helzner uses her beautiful gifts of singing, storytelling, and musicianship to inspire people around the world. The US-based “The Washington Post” music writer Mike Joyce said these favorable words about her: “Robyn Helzner’s lovely voice radiates warmth and hope, whether she’s singing in Hebrew or English, drawing from ancient texts or performing contemporary tunes.”

I sing Jewish music, that’s my profession, that’s my love. And so it takes many forms. One, is the concert work that I do, singing in traditional Jewish languages, singing Jewish folk music. Another piece of it is this cantorial work that I do. When Jews come to pray at the synagogue or at the temple, they have a spiritual leader or rabbi who is also a teacher who helps to lead the services.

And then there’s also a person called the cantor. And the cantor is the person who is responsible for leading the music in the service. The cantor is also known in Hebrew as the “sheliach tzibbur,” which, as a messenger for the congregation, facilitates the prayer, helps people to participate. And because so many of our prayers are songs, there’s just a lot of spirit in the music. And I think people prefer to sing when they pray.

He makes peace peace in his high places He will make Will make peace
He makes peace peace in his high places He will make Will make peace
He will make peace Upon us and the whole of Israel
And say Amen And say Amen

Ms. Robyn Helzner was appointed Cantorial Soloist at Temple Sinai in Washington, DC, USA in 2005, having led services for there for more than 20 years. Cantor Scott Borsky of “The Jewish Times” said: “Jewish music is the best way to be introduced to Jewish culture. And Robyn Helzner is the best way to be introduced to Jewish music.” She had an upbringing in a musical household.

I’ve been singing Jewish music since I was eight years old. This was something that I always heard in my household. We listened to these records of songs in Hebrew and songs in Yiddish, these two traditional Jewish languages. And I myself developed a very strong affinity for the music and for the languages themselves.

Hebrew of course is the ancient language of the Jewish people, the language of the Bible, of our Torah. And it’s also a modern language of the state of Israel. It’s an amazing language that – it’s old and yet everyday new.

Yiddish is a language that was spoken by the Jews who lived in Eastern Europe and in Europe over the years. It’s a mixture of Hebrew and German, mostly. And then Ladino, or Judaeo-Español, was the language that was spoken by the Jews who lived in Spain.

So I sing in these traditional languages because then you can sing about anything. The question is, what is Jewish music? What is a Jewish song? And to me, in my opinion, a lot of it has to do with the text, because if you sing in Hebrew, if you sing in Yiddish, if you sing in Ladino, you’re singing a Jewish song no matter what you sing about.

So I can sing songs about love, I can sing songs about community. I can sing songs about work. It doesn’t just have to be about Jewish holidays or Jewish tradition; I can sing songs about anything. And as long as I’m singing in these traditional languages, I’m singing the Jewish song.

Next is a contemplative song in Hebrew from The Robyn Helzner Trio’s CD, “Signs and Wonders.” It is titled “Hilel Haya Omer.”

Listen to what Hillel says: Listen to what Hillel says: Listen to what Hillel says: Hillel says:
Listen to what Hillel says: Listen to what Hillel says: Listen to what Hillel says: Hillel says:
Listen to what Hillel says: Listen to what Hillel says: Listen to what Hillel says: Hillel says:
Listen to what Hillel says Listen to what Hillel says Listen to what Hillel says Hillel says:
Hillel used to say, “If I'm not for myself, Who will be for me? And if I am for myself only, What am I?
Hillel used to say, “If I'm not for myself, Who will be for me? And if I am for myself only, What am I?

Whether through workshops, concerts, or new interpretations of pieces, Ms. Helzner welcomes all people to know about the rich Jewish heritage.

I think Jewish music is the original world music because Jews have lived in so many places all over the world. Now with the Jews having lived in the Middle East, you have all that culture, the Arabic culture that’s filtered into the Jewish community and the Jewish culture. So the rhythms and the melodies are really global in Jewish music because Jews have lived in so many places over the generations.

For joy and happiness When we sing it It sounds so beautiful This melody was sung by Mom and Dad when they were still little children.

Like this, this is our tune that sounds so lively, So joyfully, so nicely, Sing, children! Like this, this is our tune that sounds so lively, May we all so cheerful be. We have a little melody for luck and for blessing We always sing it. It sounds so nice.

World peace is a universal ideal we all share. In the following song from her CD, “A Fire Burns,” Ms. Helzner uses a quotation from the Torah’s book of Isaiah, to remind us that a new world of peace and love is worth envisioning.

“Nation shall not take up sword against nation, They shall never again know war
Nation shall not take up sword against nation, They shall never again know war

They shall not hurt or destroy. They shall not hurt or destroy.
They shall not hurt or destroy. They shall not hurt or destroy.
They shall beat their sword into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks.
They shall beat their sword into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation shall not take up sword against nation, They shall never again know war
Nation shall not take up sword against nation, They shall never again know war

In rare and privileged opportunities, Ms. Helzner has been blessed to bring the Jewish sounds to some very unique places throughout her career.

I’ve had some really wonderful experiences with Jewish music. In the late 1980s, I had the honor of going to the Soviet Union, before it became the former Soviet Union, to share music. We met in an apartment, and people would come and for hours and hours, I would just lead people in singing Jewish music.

Just even a few months later, I was invited back to participate in the first officially Soviet government Jewish sponsor tour and going to the concert halls of Moscow and St. Petersburg, where for the first time Jews could openly come and celebrate their Jewish culture – was an amazing experience, something that I’ll never forget.

I received an invitation to serve as the cantor for the Jewish holidays with a congregation in Hong Kong. So I did that for many years. It was really exciting to go to Hong Kong.

And, connected to that, during one of my visits there, I met a woman who was the head of the Jewish community in Beijing, and she invited me to come and officiate at her son’s bar mitzvah in Beijing. It was the first one that had ever taken place in the Chinese capital. (Wow.) So I had the wonderful honor of participating in that service and ceremony.

After her initial solo success, Ms. Helzner decided to create a new form of musical expression through the Robyn Helzner Trio. The group has inspired audiences around the world with their vast array of songs blending Israeli, Eastern European, Spanish, and North American melodies and rhythms. Mr. Dov Weitman plays mandolin and guitar, and Mr. Matt Holsen plays bass and keyboard. Indeed, this acclaimed ensemble is a leader in bringing the Jewish musical experience to life.

I’m sharing my music with audiences that don’t necessarily speak Hebrew or Yiddish or Ladino. How can I transmit the mood of the song, the experience of the song, the story of the song? How can I express it if I am not singing in a language that everybody understands? So then it’s up to me as the interpreter, as the performer, as again sort of that “sheliach tzibbur,” as the messenger, to be able to make the song accessible to my audiences.

I do that with choices that I make in how I sing the song with my trio, how we arrange the song, what instruments we use, what rhythms we choose, what tempos we pick, with what harmonies, all those kinds of things go into how I choose to express that song as an American Jewish woman. So I think the same thing holds true with being a cantor, because again my role is to help express those prayers.

Wherever Ms. Robyn Helzner goes, she always leaves an uplifting and positive atmosphere. The publication “Washington Jewish Week” said the following of her music: “Robyn Helzner breathes soul into the songs with the sweet sound of her voice… Even if you don’t speak the language you can derive from her tone the meaning of the song."

All our relatives used to sing it When we were still little children.

Like this, this is our tune that sounds so lively, So joyfully, so nicely, Sing, children!
Like this, this is our tune that sounds so lively, May we all so cheerful be.

Like this, this is our tune that sounds so lively, So joyfully, so nicely, Sing, children!
Like this, this is our tune that sounds so lively, May we all so cheerful be.

These themes that I sing about, themes of hope and freedom and caring for one and another and caring for our world and our hopes for the future, these are universal themes and they are really at the core of Judaism as well.

The whole spirit will praise God: Halleluiah
The whole spirit will praise God: Halleluiah
The whole spirit will praise God: Halleluiah
The whole spirit will praise God: Halleluiah
Praise God in His Holiness; Praise Him, in His mighty Heaven.
Praise Him, in His valor; Praise Him, in His greatness.
The whole spirit will praise God: Halleluiah
The whole spirit will praise God: Halleluiah
Praise Him, in blowing a shofar (horn); Praise Him, in a harp and violin.
Praise Him, in a drum and dance; Praise Him, in strings and pipe organ.
The whole spirit will praise God: Halleluiah
The whole spirit will praise God: Halleluiah
Praise Him, in a sound beam Praise Him, in a cymbal’s cry
The whole spirit will praise God: Halleluiah
The whole spirit will praise God: Halleluiah

The whole spirit will praise God: Halleluiah
The whole spirit will praise God: Halleluiah

Our applause and appreciation, Ms. Robyn Helzner, for inviting all the world to enjoy the beautiful heart and soul of Jewish music. Wishing you and your trio the best, we join the peace-loving Jewish people in the wish for humankind’s elevated future together.

Thank you, benevolent viewers, for joining us on Enlightening Entertainment. Coming up next is Words of Wisdom, right after Noteworthy News, here on Supreme Master Television. May your outlook on life stay bright by God’s loving light.

Robyn Helzner’s music CDs are available at