Artist In Residence
Rick Recht
Rick Recht is the Artist in Residence at United Hebrew Congregation. Along with Cantor Eichaker he provides the music for our family services as well as special Multi-Generational and Children's Services for the High Holidays. During the school year he provides the music for our some of our Tot Shabbat services.
He is one of the busiest touring Jewish artists in the United States playing over 100 concerts a year from coast to coast. Highlights of this past year include performances at the NFTY National Convention, BBYO International Convention, UAHC Biennial, USY International Convention, the NAA Conference, the BBYO Staff Conference, and the UAHC National Preschool Director's Conference. Recht also won the 2001 American Zionist Movement and 2000 American Jewish Festival songwriting contests. Over the last two summers, Recht has played over 70 Jewish camps from coast to coast including Ramah, UAHC, JCC and private camps garnering a feverish following among the national Jewish youth movements unseen in previous years. Recht has two top selling Jewish albums, TOV and SHABBAT ALIVE! which is the first Jewish multimedia CD that you can put in your computer and watch a short movie, slide show, screensavers and more.
Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Recht developed a strong Jewish identity attending Traditional Congregation, a conservative synagogue, and later, in high school, joined NFTY, where he was deeply influenced by Jewish music. After graduating USC (Los Angeles, CA) and Music Institute (Hollywood, CA), Recht hit the road, performing at a variety of venues from clubs to amphitheaters. His contribution to the Jewish music world marks the birth of a unique blend of pop, radio-friendly music with Hebrew, Jewish text, and social responsibility. Recht is widely recognized for his particular appeal to youth and family audiences as a powerful musician, singer/songwriter, entertainer, and role model. He has been commissioned to write theme songs for camps, Jewish special-interest groups, and synagogues where his original music appears in services and songbooks.