06/12/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/13/2025 04:37
For Elana Arian, acclaimed composer, multi-instrumentalist, and faculty member at Hebrew Union College, music is not simply art; it's a form of sacred service. Arian's new album If We Loved Like That and her recently published Elana Arian Anthology (Transcontinental Music Publications) represent more than just decades dedicated to creative output. They reflect a career rooted in the belief that music has the power to connect, uplift, and transform individuals and communities alike.
"I really believe in a deep way that music has a unique direct pathway to the most core internal parts of us as people," Arian says. "The things that we are able to sing and participate in musically transcend language. It's a unique force for connection and healing and community; particularly in this time right now"
Raised in a home deeply immersed in Jewish life and song-her mother, Merri Lovinger Arian is Professor of Practice in Liturgical Arts and Music Education, and her father, Rabbi Ramie Arian, "Debbie (Friedman) was a close friend of my mom's and a real presence in my life who gently encouraged me to consider writing for the Jewish community," Arian recalls. "She taught me to 'Give them your heart.' That's how I try to teach and lead."
Arian performing at the Marlene Meyerson JCC as part of the Broadway Seder
As a teacher, Arian emphasizes that Jewish music and worship leadership are acts of service.
"To choose to work in this field is to desire to serve," she says. "If it's about anything other than that, we've lost our compass."
Her work, both as a teacher and touring artist-in-residence, centers on creating space for connections across lines of difference. Whether she's leading Shabbat services, mentoring students, or working with young leaders at song-leading intensives like Hava Nashira, Arian views her role as helping people reconnect with one another and with themselves.
Arian, bottom row, third from left, with other song leaders, students, faculty, and alumni of Hebrew Union College at Hava Nashira
That commitment is woven into the heart of If We Loved Like That, a new collection of music written during what Arian calls "this particular reality" for the Jewish People. The title track invites listeners to imagine a world shaped by compassion. "The questions are open-ended and non-judgmental, which helps people access the message more easily," she explains. "It's about helping people connect to their humanity."
Another piece, Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh, uses a Talmudic teaching, "All of Israel is responsible for one another," to encourage connection beyond political or ideological divides. "I wrote it just before October 7, and it's only existed in a post-October 7 world," Arian reflects. "I usually invite people to engage with that text however it feels right for them. It's a reminder that our hopes and dreams, our ability to feel safe, are all bound up with those around us."
Her new anthology of music is a comprehensive collection of her work to date, including pieces from the new album and previously unreleased compositions. "It's kind of a career retrospective," she says. "A lot of the themes like connection, blessing, awe, gratitude come through across the music. Even now, when it's hard to access those feelings, I hope this collection helps people find ways into gratitude and blessing."
Arian working with campers at URJ Crane Lake Camp
Arian's commitment to cultivating the next generation of Jewish musicians is a central part of her work. She's motivated to support emerging cantors, song leaders, and Jewish musicians, she says.
She's also deeply invested in mentoring queer youth and families. "Being a visible queer leader in the Jewish world matters. For trans and nonbinary folks and young people right now, I want them to know that they're seen, supported, and that the Jewish community has their back."
Beyond her teaching and solo work, Arian plays in New Moon Rising, a musical collaboration with Rabbi Deborah Sacks Mintz and Chava Mirel. She finds creative inspiration in community, noting that working with her friends in this group is one of her favorite projects. "There's such joy in making music with friends. We each bring something different from our Jewish backgrounds, and it pushes me to take risks and try new things."
New Moon Rising Performs: Left to right: Arian, Rabbi Deborah Sacks Mintz, and Chava Mirel
Despite her global reach-from synagogues to summer camps-Arian is remarkably attuned to the power of intimacy in songwriting. "I'm quite conscious of context when I'm writing," she explains. "I'm thinking a lot about the music being sung by a community, whether it's by a skilled Cantor, lay leader, young person, or whatever; it needs to live comfortably in the mouths of people who have various skills."
She believes that the more personal a song is, the more universal it is. "I have a setting of Dodi Li that I wrote for my wife Julia, with lyrics that reflect our very specific love story. But people write to me saying, 'This is exactly our story!' And I smile because, no, it's mine. But
that's the magic. The more open and personal I am, the more universally the music is felt."
Arian travels nationally to serve as an Artist in Residence in congregations across the country
Album Release Concert: If We Loved Like That
June 16, 2025
New York, NY
Join Elana Arian for an evening of music, heart, and connection as she debuts new work and celebrates the release of her new album.
Attend: Elana Arian Album Release Show: If We Loved Like That Tickets, Mon, Jun 16, 2025 at 7:30 PM | Eventbrite