Support Ana Elech, a New Album by Yedid (Avra) Shapiro

I'm thrilled to share that I'm recording Ana Elech*, my first album of original music, a decade in the making. It takes a community to bring something like this to life. I hope you'll be part of it.

*Ana Elech, meaning, “Where can I go?", comes from Psalm 139, a psalm of awe for both the vastness and intimacy of the Divine.

Who I Am & How I Came to This Music

My name is Yedid (formerly Avra) Shapiro. For over a decade, the texts and music of the Jewish tradition have been my lifeline. I wrote the first song for this album, Mimainei HaYeshuah (From the Wellsprings of Liberation), in collaboration with Yael Schonzeit, ten years ago, and it is deeply woven through the beloved community of Kohenet, first shared and sung with joy and vibrancy in the flickering lights of Havdalah on a Kohenet retreat. Another came to me after a heartbreaking act of violence against my Chicago Jewish community, Mir Veln Zey Iberlebn (We Will Outlive Them), a song of resistance and resilience that we sang, healing together, in the aftermath. And Ana Elech found me what feels like many seasons ago. I was in the hospital, sitting atop a bed I had just made, having tucked in the thin, white sheets to feel some semblance of normalcy in a disorienting time. Seeking solace, I opened up my prayerbook and saw a “Prayers for Recovery” section in the table of contents. I turned to the page and saw Psalm 139, a yet unknown prayer to me. Then, I came across these lines:

"Where can I flee from Your presence? When I make my bed in the underworld, You are here."

The Psalm knew exactly where I was.

Why This Album

So much of life is like this: seasons of grief, disorientation, and loss alongside moments of exaltation and joy. Our tradition holds all of it. Rebbe Nachman teaches that the psalms contain every note of the soul. Our ancestors recorded their words for us so that we, millennia later, can turn to them when we need them most.

And we need them now. In turbulent times, song, story, and ritual are what carry us through.

Ana Elech is a collection of songs that came to me in my hardest moments and my most joyful moments, drawn from psalms, Torah, the prophets, and Pirkei Avot. It moves from heartbreak and resistance all the way to the trumpet-filled, choral outpouring of Psalm 150: Kol Hanshama Tehallel Yah, let everything that breathes sing praise! Our people have always returned to music in times like these. This album is an offering in that lineage, and I'm looking to you to help bring it into the world so it can reach many others.

How You Can Support

I’ve been so grateful for the community that has already gathered around this music—those who have come to listen, learn, and sing these songs with me. Bringing an album into the world is a collective effort, and I’d love to invite you to be part of it.

Your support will help fund the musicians, producer, engineer, and videographer, as well as the recording, mixing, mastering, and distribution needed to bring Ana Elech to life. Projects like this rely on community support to become possible.

If you’re able to contribute, I would be deeply grateful. And if donating isn’t possible right now, sharing this project with others is also a meaningful way to help.

Thank you for helping bring this music into the world. Your support truly means a lot.

Suggested Tiers:

$18 — Friend of the Music

Help support the creation of this album and receive project updates along the way.

$36 — Album Supporter

Support the album and receive updates as the recording comes to life.

$72 — Studio Partner

Help bring the music into the studio and follow along with updates from the recording process.

$180 — Patron of the Album

Support the album at a deeper level and help bring these songs into the world.

$250 — Seed Funder

Funds two hours of recording. Poster of album art.

$360 — Sustaining Patron

Funds help pay musicians for rehearsal time. Provide significant support for the recording and production of the album. Poster of album art.

$500 — Co-Sponsor a Song

Your name will be listed in the album liner notes as a co-sponsor of a song. Poster of album art.

$1000 — Sponsor a Song

Your name will be listed in the album liner notes as a sponsor of a song. Poster of album art.

Hear Yedid's music here: https://soundcloud.com/avrashapiro

Learn more about Yedid and their offerings here: https://www.kohenetyedidshapiro.com

Check out Yedid's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@YedidShapiro

Album Team

Yedid Shapiro - musical direction, co-production, vocals

Rachel Chang - musical direction, co-production, vocals, guitar

Kendra Watkins - vocals

Tali Shapiro - vocals

Molly Bajgot - fundraising consultant

…and more to come!