My Experience with Eitan Katz

OPINION— On Sunday night, I was lucky enough to attend the Eitan Katz concert. I had been looking forward to it for a while because I was excited to spend time with my friends and listen to music with them. But the concert exceeded my expectations; not only was it a fun night spent with friends, but a spiritually renewing and uplifting experience. 

The concert itself was held in the Rascoff family’s backyard. I had been to one or two of these concerts in their backyard before, but there were significantly more people there this time. Adults and children of every age filled the seats lining the grass lawn as the sun began setting. There was a lot of excitement and anticipation in the air; you could tell everyone was really eager for the opportunity to listen to and sing Eitan Katz’s music. 

When the singer emerged onto the stage (that being the Rascoff’s porch), he was accompanied by a violinist, a guitarist, and a drummer. Then the concert began. I didn’t know all of his music, but every song and tune filled the outdoor space with warmth and color. Sometimes Eitan Katz would pause between songs to speak for a few minutes. He shared some really meaningful words about Judaism, singing, and life in general, which made the whole concert that much more special. 

At a certain point, all the kids at the concert started singing and dancing in the back behind all the chairs. It was like singing Zemirot but 100 percent cooler because the guy who wrote those songs (!!) was singing them live with you. I lost track of time as I sang along to "Lamancha" and “Ki Karov” alongside so many friends and members of my Jewish community. When the concert finally came to a close, I was sad that such a special experience was coming to a close, but at least we got a picture with Eitan Katz! 

Overall, the concert was such a special experience—it made me feel so connected to my Jewish community, and it was such a spiritual and renewing opportunity to sing and pray before the High Holidays.