Cantor Juval Porat

Theology (J. Porat)

Can we create a safe space
Between the sacred and the profane
Can we let peace flow where love grows
How long can we go on chasing the likes?
Swiping left then swiping right

Can we create a safe space?

You want to hold on to something real
A System to believe in

All we have
Is now and what to make of it
Even if not every song become’s a hit
We’re gonna get past our doubts, shut them out and let love in
Let’s live life while we’re in it
Infuse it with our harmonies
Let’s make it our theology

Can you find what you’re looking for
If you stand still, if you talk no more
Can I find what I’m looking for?

Can we see through the love inside?
Who knows what we might find

Produced & mixed by Robb Torres

Here I Am (J. Porat & T. Kline)

I’m not that brave or courageous
I’m not fearless, I’m just human
And some people are dying
And some people are trying
To lend a hand, and since I can

Chorus

Here I am in my fear
But there’s strength and hope within me
Here I am and it’s clear, that the grace of God is with me
I’m trying to find a light in the chaos and do what I can
Because I can
Here I am

I’m not bold or daring
I’m not perfect, I’m just human
And some people are bleeding
And some people are needing
To take a stand, and since I can

Chorus

Bridge

I don’t know why I feel this way inside
I’m just taking it in, for all that it is

Chorus

Produced & mixed by Robb Torres

Or Zarua (J. Porat & R. Kann)

Is there a light to brighten up the dark places?
Is there a way out of all these crowded spaces?
Is there relief from so many different races?
There’s so much confusion
How do we know what’s real and what’s an illusion?
How do we keep our inner flame alive?
Can we learn to let go of what no longer serves us and just
Turn our hearts towards the light

Chorus

Or Zarua, or zarua, or zarua latzadik

How do we make sense of the joy and the sorrow?
What do we do with the time that we’ve borrowed?
How do we find hope for a better tomorrow?

There’s a spark in the dark
Each passing moment can bring us closer

Let us stand face to face
Panim el panim as we
Waltz into your sea of reeds
Split open to receive our fateful leap
As we heliotrope into your big bright radiance
As we sing unto thee in present tense
Let us all rise, let us be worthy
Let it be time
Let the sparks fly
Let us make ourselves into vessels unbreakable so that we may receive your everything
Let there be light

What if we spend some time in complete stillness

And use the light that’s within us
To bring light to those who surround us

Produced & mixed by Robb Torres

What’s It Gonna Be (T. Kline)

There’s nowhere to run and nowhere to hide
There’s no one to save me, it’s only me, my fate and I
But feeling, means feeling bad about myself
And real love is something for everybody else
There’s a fork in the road
Which way will I go?

What’s it gonna be
Life or death today
My reality is just a step away
Can’t turn black and white into shades of grey
So what’s it gonna be
Life or death today?

I feel like a fire that waits for the wind
So someone will notice the shame that I feel and the pain that I’m in
‘Cause deep down I wanna be seen, wanna be loved
And deep down, I just wanna believe I’m good enough
There’s a fork in the road
Which way will I go

I look in the mirror
Don’t know what I see
Why are the loneliest feelings
The ones I believe?

Produced & mixed by Robb Torres

Desire (J. Porat)

I don’t ever wanna lie
In my deathbed and realize I’ve
Waited too long to be happy

What if I just orient myself towards
The fullness of my life
With a sense of being happy

What if I inspire
A connection that will never expire
A state of mind to take me deeper and higher
Is there a fire to light up my fire?

Please point me
Towards something greater than ourselves
The more we unmask the shame, embrace the pain
Will your desire meet my desire
Let all that was hidden come out to the light
Bring it out to the light
I’ve been waiting for you

Desire, come meet my desire

I don’t ever wanna lose
A sight of all the things that help me push through
While I’m trying to be happy/
What if I lived like I never was lost, and like I never needed to be found
Nobody else can make me happy
What if I inspire
A connection that will never expire
A state of mind to take me deeper and higher
Is there a fire to light up my fire?

It’ll all make sense
When we meet
No more mysteries
No more questioning

Produced & mixed by Robb Torres

Adonai S’fatai Tiftach (J. Porat; lyrics from the liturgy)

אדוני, שפתי תפתח
ופי יגיד תהילתך
שכינה שפתי תפתחי
ופי יגיד תהלתך
open, open up my lips

Produced & mixed by Robb Torres

Yihy’yu L’ratzon (J. Porat; lyrics from the liturgy)

יהיהו לרצון אמרי פי
והגיון ליבי לפניך
אדוני – צורי וגואלי

May the words of my mouth
And the meditations of my heart
Be acceptable to you
My rock and my redeemer

עושה שלום במרומיו
הוא יעשה שלום עלינו
ועל כל ישראל
ואמרו, אמרו אמן

Produced & mixed by Robb Torres

Cool Again (J. Porat)

Here – I’m still clinging
There – I’m letting go
Here – I’m hardened and rigid
There – I’m soft and I flow
I give in to the turning as
I’m making my way to the other side
I can feel the change, feel a life emerging out of something that has died

Chorus

I know, i know, i know this fire will subside
Like clouds dissolving from the sky
I know I’ll be healed by time and
I’ll be cool again

I know, i know, i know this pain won’t last
Like a storm which comes to pass
Wouldn’t it be nice if you and
I’d be cool again

Here – lies our old friendship
There – it changed it’s face
Here – lies resistance
There – a brand new chance

I give in to the turning
Through tears of mourning to the other side
I can feel the change, I feel
A life emerging out of something that has died

But now I know
I have to go
This well is dry
So now, goodbye

I can feel the change
I feel a life emerging out of something that has died

Chorus

Produced & mixed by Robb Torres

Priestly Blessing (J. Porat; Hebrew lyrics from the liturgy)

Chorus

כן יהי רצון, כן יהי רצון

יברכך אדוני וישמרך
יאר אדוני פניו אליך ויחונך
ישא אדוני פניו אליך וישם לך שלום

Chorus

Wherever you go, may you be transformed
By the divine flow
May your fierce and loving light always shine bright through it all
May you find contentment in all that you do
May kindness and grace always be there for you
May you always be able to speak out your truth/
May you always be you
And may your life be protected
May it be guided by peace

Chorus

Produced & mixed by Robb Torres

Shalom Rav (J. Porat; lyrics from the liturgy)

Chorus

שלום רב על ישראל עמך
שלום רב על ישראל עמך
תשים לעולם

כי את הוא מלך
מלך אדון
לכל השלום

Chorus

וטוב בעיניך לברך
את עמך ישראל
בכל עת ובכל שעה
בשלומך

Chorus

ברוך אתה אדוני
המברך את עמו ישראל
בשלום

Produced & mixed by Jeremy Lawrence

Goodbye (J. Porat)

One day you will wake up
Next to your new lover
And the one you took for granted
Will be gone
Gone, gone, gone

And you’ll walk along the street
That’s saturated with our history
And everything we once stood for
Will be gone
Gone, gone, gone

It’s time to leave behind this old way
Doesn’t mean I
Lose the memories we’ve made
When there’s no room to grow and nothing’s left to try
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye

One day you’ll pick up the phone
And dial a familiar number
And the once established connection
Will be gone
Gone, gone, gone

One day you’ll glance at all the
Email, IM’s and letters
And the once powerful longing
Will be gone
Gone, gone, gone

I wish you
Wish me well
I wish you
Wish me well

Produced & mixed by Robb Torres

Litany for Survival (feat. Gina Manziello; Music by Juval Porat; Lyrics by Audre Lorde)

I leave you the will to fight
The desire to live
I leave the will to fight
The right to anger, to love, to joy
To transform silence into language and action
I leave you a litany for survival

Hope is a living state that propels us
Open eyed and fearful into all the battles of our lives

Hope is a living state that propels us
Open eyed and fearful into all the battles of our lives

And some of these battles we do not win
But some of them we do

Produced & mixed by Robb Torres

Tracks 1-9, 11-12 produced and mixed by Robb Torres
Track 10 produced by Jeremy Lawrence
Mastered by Hans Dekline
All instruments by Robb Torres except Track 7: Recorder by Juval Porat & Track 10: Instruments by Jeremy Lawrence
Artwork: Keith Mitchell
Executive producer: Juval Porat