Chaim David Saracik, a veteran musician in the Jewish music scene and a sofer Sta”m, is currently launching a new single called “Nigun Harebbi“. The single is part of a new EP that will be released soon, and comes after a particularly challenging period for the Jewish people.
“Nigun Harebbi” was written as a tribute to Rabbi Avraham Brandwein, zt”l, who was “a great kabbalist, and also a scholar in Torah and in all fields and influenced me greatly,” as Saracik describes. “I grew up in his synagogue in the Old City, and to this day I am connected to the rabbi’s son, studying Seder there and even serving as a gabbai in the synagogue.”
Saracik, born in South Africa in 1952, immigrated to Israel at the age of twenty and became close to the world of Jewish music after a formative meeting with Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach in Europe. “I met Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach in Europe, and he convinced me to immigrate to the Land of Israel and I was privileged to study with him,” shares Saracik. “It was at Har Tzion, the Diaspora Yeshiva,” he later played and sang in performances by the Diaspora Yeshiva Band.

• The new EP comes about two years after a period that included many delays due to the security situation and the war. “The war was a great and drastic change in the daily lives of the Jewish people, each and every one, each and every family,” says Saracik. “It was, as we all know, great trials.” During this period, Saracik found ways to contribute his part: “Hashem helps those who have a dream or a deep desire to do something for the Jewish people. Baruch Hashem I was privileged to go to a few bases. I came with my guitar and a speaker, and I played for about an hour, two hours.”
  In addition to his musical activity, Saracik continues the tradition as a songwriter: “I’m also a songwriter. Before I started publishing myself as a musician, I was a songwriter. I learned it, I worked at it for a good few years.”
  On the decision to release the new EP despite the difficulties in the music industry, Saracik explains: “Really, the business of singing on CDs is almost gone. But I decided that that’s not the whole point. I want to work, sing, innovate.” The new EP includes a variety of styles and themes: “Almost every song has a different style… all styles, deep, cheerful, special, a new melody, innovation, each with something from the Torah sources and from the tefillos.”

Saracik dedicates his new work to the entire Israeli people, and especially to IDF soldiers and their families. “My son was at the front three times, in Gaza and in the Gush. He spent a few good weeks there…” His sons-in-law also fought in Lebanon, Gaza, and other places. “You have to worry about them, and really pray, and know that Hashem will bring them back safe and sound.” Yaron Saffer participated in the production of the EP, whom Saracik describes as “a very professional, musical, hardworking, special Jewish person, and he was also in the reserves several times during the work on the project. “Of the musicians who participated in the recordings, Saracik mentions, for example, Oren Tzur, “a violinist and maybe a little mandolin. He’s excellent, you’ll hear him on the entire disc. And in addition, other great musicians who dedicated the best of their talent to this project.”