Live Performance Videos

Orin Reynolds, our lead singer and experiential educator, provides his soulful voice and sounds to these LIVE videos

Click on "Section" link to advance to a particular section

Section A     -  Song videos

Series of videos that took place at Indiana University Hillel in March of 2016

Section B      - Introduction to Songs and Teachings

Beneath the music videos are videos of Orin and Bruce introducing and sharing special aspects of the different sections of the program. There is also  a video of Orin teaching the Shehecheyanu  song

Section C      - References

Reference letters from the Hillel Rabbi who oversaw this program at the bottom of this page, as well as a reference from Rabbi Brian Besser who also was in  attendance

Section A

This is a list of the song videos (You can select a specific song by clicking on the song link)

Oseh Shalom- High energy version of the Prayer for Peace - Includes animated video

Shiru L'Adonai  - Opening Our Hearts and Voices in Song

Shehecheyanu  - Giving Thanks for the Wonders of Our Lives 

Shalom Rav- Meditative version

Barchu/Shema -  Blessing the Blessing of Our Blessings  and Awakening Our Hearts  

Mi Sheberach  - Healing Energy for the Body and Soul  

Shabbat Shalom Song - Transitioning from an intensely, stressful week into the calming Space of Shabbat 

Shabbat Candle Lighting - Shabbat is not so much about lighting “wax candles” as it is about kindling our inner lights.

Light of the Nations Song  - a Who We are and What We Bring Song - Includes animated video

Havdalah   - An end and a beginning, darkness to light, the cycle of our life journey - A "home" gathering!  

Oseh Shalom - High energy version of the Prayer for Peace - Includes animated video

Shiru L'adonai  - Opening Our Hearts and Voices in Song 

Shehecheyanu  - Giving Thanks for the Wonders of Our Lives 

Shalom Rav - Meditative version

Barchu/Shema -  Blessing the Blessing of Our Blessings  and Awakening Our Hearts   

Mi Sheberach ... Healing Energy for the Body and Soul  

Shabbat Shalom Song - Transitioning from an intensely, stressful week into the calming Space of Shabbat 

Shabbat Candle Lighting - Shabbat is not so much about lighting “wax candles” as it is about kindling our inner light.

Light of the Nations Song .. a Who We are and What We Bring Song - Includes animated video

Havdalah...An end and a beginning, darkness to light, the cycle of our life journey - A "home" gathering! 

Section B   

Introduction to Songs and Teachings

This is a list of the intro and teaching videos (You can select a specific one by clicking on the link)

Jonah intro - Bruce

Shehecheyanu  - Intro and Teaching - Orin and Bruce

Mi Shebarach intro and Matzah Ball story - Bruce

Shiru Intro - Bruce

Shalom Rav intro - Orin

Jonah intro

Shehecheyanu  - Intro and Teaching

Mi Shebarach intro and Matzah Ball story

Shiru Intro 

Shalom Rav intro

Section C

Reference letter from the Hillel Rabbi who oversaw the Indiana Hillel program

What an inspirational and uplifting Shabbat we had a few weeks back here at the Indiana University Hillel.  Our Friday evening worship services are usually led by students, but we invited a local Jewish artist, with an international reputation, Bruce David, to lead us that Shabbat, and it was an amazing experience.  Bruce, who is a personal friend of mine, is a Jewish artist, but not just an artist who happens to be Jewish.  His art work is Judaica and it is extraordinary.  Years back Pete Seeger recorded an album of folk songs he called “Story Songs.”  I think of Bruce’s art as story paintings.  Each one shares aspects of our biblical heritage and includes themes relating to such things as Jerusalem, peace, and Jewish prayer.  In addition, his artwork is extremely unusual.  Each painting contains hidden images, and it seems like every time I look at one of Bruce’s paintings I see something I’d never seen before.  Remarkable.

Bruce heads up a Jewish educational outreach organization, Light of the Nations, which uses artistic expression to share the modern day benefits of Judaism. Bruce, along with his associate Orin Reynolds, led us in a completely creative, artistic, musical prayer experience.  Orin led most of the service with guitar in hand.  He is an accomplished musician and singer, former Goldman Union Camp camper, song leader and staff member.  The music was new and creative and emotional, all written by Bruce and Orin.  Each prayer and song was accentuated by a large screen projection video of Bruce’s art, where the hidden symbolisms in the designs were highlighted as part of the animation that accompanied that sharing. This added so much depth to the service. 

Another unusual part of the evening was that we opened the service up to the general Bloomington community (anyone can come to any of our services, but for this one we let the community know that something special was about to happen).  Several congregants from our local synagogue, Beth Shalom, including the Rabbi, and other adults from the community who were just interested, came to join our IU students.  So the congregation was a great mix of adults and students.  There was an air of spirit in the room and all joined Orin in singing. If you can imagine, we all viewed the videos of Bruce’s intriguing artwork while listening to songs and readings encouraging us to make the world a better place, pursue justice, practice ecology and conservation, and be agents of light in this ever darkening world of ours.  And we sang songs of Shabbat Shalom and Shabbat blessings.  In thinking about the evening I guess I could best describe it by saying, “WOW.”  It was an outstanding experience. 

Thank you Bruce and Orin for the gift of that Shabbat service.

Rabbi Ron Klotz

Indiana University Hillel

Reference letter from a Rabbi who has attended programs by Light of the Nations and included thier music at his synagogue

                                                                                                               May 26, 2016

To whom it may concern:

It is my pleasure to recommend Bruce David’s multimedia program, “Light of the Nations.”

As his Rabbi for four years, I know Bruce well. Rarely have I met an individual so single-mindedly and idealistically devoted to an overriding sense of purpose. Bruce’s mission in life is, quite simply, to be “a light of the nations.” Bruce understands that all the commandments of Judaism can be summed up in God’s first charge to Abraham: “you shall be a blessing.”

Bruce is a gifted artist and composer. Once you see his artwork, you will never forget it: the combination of brightly colored figures, shapes and letters is unmistakable. His musical compositions are relaxing, meditative, almost hypnotic, and just right for Shabbat! Over the past decade, Bruce has perfected a unique style that electronically blends art, music and narrative into short sequences (maybe five to ten minutes long); these form the core of his programming. Recently, he enlisted a very talented young collaborator, Orin Reynolds. I envision their joint product as a suitable companion for a wide range of audiences and settings: children and adults, religious services and camp gatherings, educational and environmental workshops, the possibilities are practically endless!

I would like to focus on one particularly fun—and at the same time, telling—aspect of Bruce’s visual art: his mosaics, stained glass, and so on. The more you look, the more you see. Bruce loves to embed hidden figures and messages, sometimes several layers deep beneath the surface: the personage of Jonah that mysteriously emerges from the tail of the whale, for example, or the word “shalom” that suddenly reveals itself from among the seemingly haphazard shapes and forms, but only if you look at them just right!

Bruce’s artistic signature reflects his personal theology. He believes in God as a hidden force of good, which is not always apparent on the surface but which reveals itself to us when we take the time and effort to seek it out through contemplation and meditation. This divine energy pervades the entire universe and the human spirit. Our only goal as human beings is to tap into it and further the world’s evolution toward greater and greater self-actualization.

Bruce is an eternal optimist. Despite the obvious degradations and evils that rage throughout the world today, he believes in the redeeming power of love. He tries to live his life accordingly, and his highest desire is to inspire others to join him. Young people—children, teenagers, and college students—are Bruce’s most important target audience, because the future of the planet rests with them.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Brian Besser

Congregation Beth Shalom