Unorthodox jewish music

Jamie Marx’s music reflects a deep sense of spirituality, an unorthodox approach to sacred text, and a wide array of musical influences. Whether writing sacred music infused with a ‘90s rock sensibility or inspirational songs for voice and piano, Jamie’s music shines with compassion for the human experience.

When setting a Jewish text to music, Jamie’s critical eye and cantorial training leads the music in unexpected directions — like a setting of the “Mourner’s Kaddish,” a text that is almost always recited instead of sung, or a rewriting of the ancient Priestly Benediction to use feminine conjugations rather than masculine ones.

A lifelong fan of jazz and big band, ‘80s hair rock and new wave, musical theater and classical music — it’s all about how a song communicates an emotional journey.

Releases and Publications

In 2017, he released his first album of Jewish hard rock, In Pursuit, which featured fan favorites “Shalom Rav” and “Hashkiveinu.” His most recent album is Restless Heart, released in early 2019, and the song “Hinei Eil Y’shuati” on that album was selected for publication in the songbook Ruach 5781. The single “Bless This Year” was included in the songbook Chazak v’Ematz: Jewish Songs of Protest and Hope and “Something That I Love” was published in the songbook of Jewish children’s music, Manginot 3. He is always working on new songs and compositions, including a full-scale Broadway musical based on the biblical Book of Esther. His most recent releases include “Every Spring I Lose My Mind” and a cover of Erasure’s B-side “True Love Wars.”

Supporting Songwriters

Jamie is passionate about supporting new songwriters and composers. As a cantorial student at Hebrew Union College, he created the Composers Showcase (later renamed the Frederic S. Lane Composers Showcase) to provide a forum for students and faculty to showcase new works, now in its eleventh year. In 2018, he created the Jewish Songwriting Challenge, which in one year generated over 200 new works and inspired several albums of new Jewish music.

the big push

In Pursuit and Restless Heart were the realization of an idea that came to mind many years ago and got a big jump forward after an appearance on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" in December 2016. Jamie also writes and sells Purim spiels that have been performed in over 200 synagogues across North America and the United Kingdom. He has served as cantor of Temple Sholom in Broomall, PA, since 2014.