Orthodox Jewish
Orthodox Judaism is a collective term for the traditionalist branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as literally revealed by God on Mount Sinai and faithfully tra ...
singer-songwriter and actress. She has released four studio albums and has performed throughout the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
,
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, and
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
.
Early life
Shaindel Antelis was born in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
. Her father, Moshe, was a guitarist and songwriter before becoming a ''
baal teshuva
In Judaism, a ''ba'al teshuvah'' (; for a woman, , or ; plural, , , 'owner of return God or his way]') is a Jew who adopts some form of traditional religious observance after having previously followed a Jewish secularism, secular lifestyle or ...
'', while her mother, Nesha, teaches
Zumba
Zumba is a fitness program that involves cardio and Latin-inspired dance. It was founded by Colombian dancer and choreographer Beto Pérez in 2001. It currently has 200,000 locations, with 15 million people taking classes weekly, and is locat ...
classes. Antelis comes from a family of musicians; in addition to her father, her brother Ben is a songwriter, producer and manager who has worked with Ricky Martin, David Archuleta, Dixie D'Amelio, Tori Kelly, Leah Kate, MILCK, Brianna Mazzola and many more. Another brother, Jake, is a drummer and producer. All three have worked on her albums.
She sang and wrote poetry from a young age and wrote her first song when she was ten. The family moved from Brooklyn to
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Bruriah High School for Girls. She later recalled that, despite an overall pleasant experience, she felt isolated in the new town and used her songwriting to cope with her tumultuous emotions.
After high school, she spent a year in
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
studying at Be'er Miriam seminary in Israel while taking night classes in
cosmetology
Cosmetology (from Greek , ''kosmētikos'', "beautifying"; and , ''-logia'') is the study and application of beauty treatment. Branches of specialty include hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures/ pedicures, non-permanent hair removal suc ...
. She returned for a second year after her first album was released, during which she attended
Neve Yerushalayim
Neve Yerushalayim () is the oldest and largest college for Jewish women in the world. Founded in 1970 to educate '' baalot teshuva'' (female returnees to Orthodox Judaism) in the why and how of living an Orthodox Jewish life, Neve has approximatel ...
.
Career
Upon returning from her first year in Israel, she released her debut album ''Heart & Soul'' (2009), for which her father provided
bass guitar
The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...
and
arrangement
In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestr ...
s while her brother Jake produced and played drums.
During her second year, she sought out
open mic
An open mic or open mike (shortened from "open microphone") is a live show at a venue such as a coffeehouse, nightclub, comedy club, strip club, or pub, often taking place at night (an open mic night), in which audience members may perform on ...
nights throughout Jerusalem. She competed in the all-female Wanna Be a Star Competition hosted by the Professional Women's Theater company, and was one of the eleven contestants invited to perform at a 2009 Spotlight event at the
Gerard Behar Center
Gerard Behar Center () is a major arts centre in Jerusalem, for independent theatre, dance, and musical productions, children's shows, art exhibitions, artist workshops, and festivals. In 2010 the center hosted over 900 events with attendance in ...
. Returning home, she recorded her second album, ''Change'' (2010), which again featured her father and brother Jake with the addition of brother Ben on drums. A music video was filmed for the title track and released the following year.
In 2013, she released her third album, ''Live Today''. Later that year, she appeared at the Lamplighters Yeshivah's annual In the Glow event for women, performing alongside Miriam Leah Droz and Bulletproof Stockings. In 2014, she released the music video "Invisible", which promoted an anti-bullying message.
Artistry
Antelis plays
Jewish music
Jewish music is the music and melodies of the Jewish people. There exist both traditions of religious music, as sung at the synagogue and in domestic prayers, and of secular music, such as klezmer. While some elements of Jewish music may origina ...
with elements of
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Pop music, a musical genre
Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop! (British group), a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Album ...
,
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
,
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk horror
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Fo ...
, and
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
, describing her sound as "not Borough Park but also not
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
.” Unlike most Jewish singers, she sings primarily in English, saying "I want to write and sing about my real life, so I write in my native language, so that everyone can understand. I try to be positive, and convey the message that G‑d is really there and always listening. My music is for all women, Jewish or not, whoever and wherever they are."
She is noted as one of the few active
Orthodox
Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to:
Religion
* Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...
female musicians, as many are inhibited by the rabbinic prohibition of ''
kol isha
''Tzniut'' ( , , ; "modesty" or "privacy"; ) describes the character trait of modesty and discretion, as well as a group of Jewish laws pertaining to conduct. The concept is most important within Orthodox Judaism.
Description
''Tzniut'' i ...
''. Early on in her career, she experienced difficulty getting Judaica stores to sell her albums, as women-only music was not seen as profitable. She was encouraged and mentored by Miriam Leah Droz, a fellow Jewish singer and founder of the Arts and Torah Association for Religious Artists (ATARA). Antelis has stated that she hopes to inspire other female musicians in the religious Jewish community.