Raz Hartman – Hamakom Sheli

Raz Hartman grew up in a traditional home. He began to play piano at age 6, and soon advanced to a receiving lessons from a private teacher, in high school as well as in a music academy. His childhood passed through a number of homes from Israel to America, where he studied in university. The Hillel rabbi on his college campus introduced him to R’ Shlomo Carlebach, who connected his piano to Judaism, and music to the Torah. He was going to be a professional pianist, but instead found himself singing niggunim, and then he discovered that he also enjoyed to sing.

When he returned to Israel, he was drafted into the army and afterwards went to study in a Yeshiva in Bat Ayin, where he was surrounded by musicians who together produced a joint album. He eventually came to release his own album called “Shabbat Shalom”, which consisted of well-known Shabbat songs with three of his own compositions which were mostly piano pieces. Five years ago he released a second album “Shuvah”.

Nowadays he is working on a new album called “Hamakom Sheli”, which is being produced by Chagai Halbertal. Some of today’s outstanding musicians are featured on this album, such as Amit Yitzchak, Asaf Zamir, Oran Tzur, Koby Klahr, and others. There are thirteen songs on this album, songs of Tefillah, thanksgiving, and spiritual longings. His good friend, Shlomo Katz, is featured on one of the songs in the album, dedicated to the memory of Rav Frohman.

The title song, Hamakom Sheli, is based on one of the teachings of R’ Nachman of Breslov about Eretz Yisrael, which says that not only is our final spiritual destination the only goal of life, but rather, the whole journey is a key component.

Click PLAY below to hear the song