By Eva Trieger
LOS ANGELES — If you were to walk into a JCC or visit a Camp Ramah in virtually any city in this country and utter the name Sam Glaser, you would likely receive a smile of recognition and maybe even be treated to a few bars from a track of one of his 26 albums. But don’t think that his talent stops at performing music! He also has published books of poetry, created six musicals as well as composing songbooks. Amazon carries Glaser’s 420-page book, The Joy of Judaism: A practical guide to spiritual living using Judaism’s timeless teachings.
Genetics may well be a factor as I learned that Glaser’s earliest performances were alongside his mother, a singer and pianist. He sang at synagogues, including Temple Sinai here, Hadassah fundraisers and even at weddings, starting just after his eighth birthday and continuing until he became “too cool.” However, his passion for music never waned.
Raised on rock and roll, R & B, and jazz, Glaser was always drawn to music as an essential language. Growing up in a Conservative Jewish home, Glaser reminisced that Shabbat meals often ended with gathering around the piano, watching the “hammers dancing inside” as the keys rejoiced in Jewish songs. Some of the greats of the day, Shlomo Carlebach and Debbie Friedman, ignited and fanned the flames of Glaser’s growing interest. He attended Chassidic song festivals and delighted in making Jewish music.
This feeling grew and by his mid-twenties, Glaser became excited about Shabbat and curious about learning Torah. He began incorporating these aspects into his life and sought out rabbis to whom he could relate. A move to the Pico/Robertson neighborhood cemented this connection and all the while, Glaser was exploring more Jewish music. He began writing music for Warner Bros network affiliate, KTLA, and found writing and singing Jewish music a beautiful way of sharing his love of the Jewish soul and culture.
Glaser’s enthusiasm and infectious style have touched fans through touring, concerts, competitions and Shabbaton. He has been actively attending religious school retreats with NFTY, USY and NCSY as well as frequenting Hillel houses on college campuses nationally. His universal appeal knows no bounds, making Glaser equally beloved by Jews and gentiles. In our phone interview, Glaser said of music, “It’s all we have to bond us together. Music is how we celebrate. It is the fluid in which mankind resides.”
To continue to produce high quality music for himself and fellow artists, Glaser opened Glaser Musicworks. This cutting-edge studio enables him to record live music with a host of artists from the music world, television and sports events. As you may imagine the studio was quite a boon to the artist during the Covid pandemic and provided a safe space for others to hone their craft when concert venues and tours were on hold. Now that the critical phase of the pandemic seems to be behind us, people come to Glaser’s studio because he has great musicians who regularly play with well-known and respected icons including Lady Gaga, Usher and Jimmy Kimmel’s band.
As his knowledge of mussar grew with his Torah study, the musician told me that he wants to convey his love of Judaism through music. He hopes that as we seek out “refinement and elevate our characters, we are growing into calmer, more intelligent, giving beings that are focused on stewardship, rather than on taking.” Glaser hopes that Jews will see that we are a “great, ancient people. We are children of the Creator of the Universe, beloved. We should be strong and proud about our Judaism and unequivocal about defending our people and Israel.”
I asked how this musical entrepreneur commemorated October 7th and was told that he was releasing his new album, “Hatikva the Musical,” that was five years in the making. The album is an homage to Glaser’s commitment to Israel and his unwavering support of all Jews, everywhere.
Sam Glaser’s website provides a wealth of information about this wunderkind’s music, ruach, attitude and love for his people. For additional information about his awards, appearances and bookings, please click here.
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Trieger is a freelance writer specializing in the coverage of the arts.