When’s the last time you danced up a storm…to the Bible?
Matt Bar and Ori Salzberg are Bible Raps, a duo that creates songs based on stories from the Bible and other Jewish books. Last year, they released their first album–a collection that ranges from a retelling of the Noah story to a Talmudic conversation between Rabbi Akiba and his wife Rachel. For their next act, Bar and Salzberg are turning to some unexpected co-writers–the kids at the schools and camps where they perform.
Last summer, on their tour of Jewish summer camps, Bar and Salzberg asked their audiences to help them create new material. After choosing a Jewish text, the Bible Raps team helped the teenagers write verses and choruses, and the kids performed them over hip-hop beats.
There’s an element of cheesiness to some of these songs, but, as the popularity of Justin Bieber might attest, there’s something compelling about watching an earnest kid perform at the mic. This is especially true when there’s humor involved, and inspiring insights into Bible stories, like these kids have.
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