56 | OCTOBER 19 • 2023 J
N

I

n the course of serving 
a musical residency at 
Temple Israel, Aaron 
Markovitz is in the midst 
of highlights from his 
experiences — the release 
of an eight-song album 
with music and lyrics he 
wrote and performs, as well 
as the live introduction of 
that album at a Kabbalat 
Shabbat service on Oct. 20.
The album, An Infinite 
Wave, showcases other 
talented musicians in 
addition to Markovitz and 
was intended for listeners 
ranging from pre-teens to 
adults. 
“I feel like the Burton A. 
and Sandra D. Zipser grant, 
providing for the residency, 
has allowed me to focus 
and bring more music to 
life,” said Markovitz, 36, 
who has been working on 
his new music for over a 
year. 
“At this point in my life, 
it would have taken me a 
lot longer to get this record 
out without the help of 
Temple Israel. It would 
not have been possible 
without allowing me to 
focus the time and energy 
on it and have a little bit of 
stability in the meantime,” 
Markovitz explained. “It 
also brought me back home 
to Temple Israel, where I 
grew up and was away from 
for so long.”
Among the songs 
included on the free 
recording, available through 
the Temple Israel website, 
are “Pursuers of Peace,” 
which is about reconciling 
differences; “Stand in the 
Salvation,” about reaching 
the Promised Land; and 
“One by One,” about 
helping others.

“I’m in my second year in 
the Zipser scholarship, and 
it goes on a yearly basis, so 
it will go until this coming 
June,” Markovitz said. “I 
finished out my last year 
recording the album, so 
that was a lot of time spent 
in the studio. The album 
was released in September, 
so that also marked the 
beginning of my new year 
here.”
Throughout his 
residency, Markovitz has 
been singing and playing 
guitar during services and 
leading songs with the 
students attending Tyner 
Religious School. Working 
with the students and 
participating in the outdoor 
services rank highly 
among his most enjoyable 
activities.
“Most of the lead vocals 
on the album are sung by 
me,” Markovitz said. “I am 
the voice at the forefront 
of everything, but there 
are other singers for the 
harmonies and backup 
vocals.” 
Cantor Michael Smolash 
and Cantor Neil Michaels 
make appearances on 
the album. Markovitz’s 
wife, Ashley, a multi-
instrumentalist, sings 
harmony vocals with him. 
“It’s definitely a 
collaborative effort,” 
Markovitz said. 
There are no traditional 
Jewish styles on the album, 
Markovitz explained. The 
songs are presented in 
the musical styles that 
Markovitz uses in secular 
presentations outside 
Temple Israel, making the 
album contemporary in a 
Jewish context. 
There is bluegrass, hints 

 An 
 Infinite 
 Wave

ARTS&LIFE
MUSIC

Aaron Markovitz, serving a 
musical residency at Temple 
Israel, is releasing an eight-song 
album with music and lyrics he 
wrote and performs.

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Aaron 
Markovitz

