From Yeshiva Struggles to Musical Breakthrough: The Remarkable Journey of Moshe Feld

“I was born into a classic Lithuanian (Litvish) family in Bnei Brak. I’m the oldest of nine siblings,” says musician and composer Moshe Feld, married and a father of four, today living in Petach Tikvah.

He tries to recall the earliest sparks of music entering his life. “We were a big, multi-talented family, and I started playing when I was eight years old. My mother came from a very musical home — everyone in her family plays instruments — and I grew up immersed in music. I taught myself how to play on the piano we had at home, and I played on it constantly.

“Over time, my playing developed, and when I entered yeshiva ketana (early high school yeshiva), I would sometimes play at social events in the yeshiva. In the higher-level yeshiva, I continued playing, and that was really the turning point for me in the world of music.

At 16 I began playing as a keyboardist at events, and when I was 17 and a half, I sat one day in the yeshiva with a guitar and wrote my first song, called Pele’ah. The lyrics are from Tehillim, and the melody is mine. The verse I composed speaks about your relationship with Hashem even in your lowest places, and the knowledge that God is always with you, even there. As a teenager who experienced many ups and downs, those words resonated deeply with me. But the song sat in a drawer for years and was released only 15 years after it was composed.”

“Good Thing You’re Here”

“I wasn’t a typical yeshiva boy,” Moshe admits openly. “I didn’t always fit into the frameworks I studied in, so I moved between several yeshivot. In those years I often felt very difficult emotions — but the music was always there for me.

“One of the most memorable moments from that period was when the head of the yeshiva told me: ‘Listen, you can’t stay here anymore. Find yourself another place.’ I tried to convince him, but nothing helped. I moved to a yeshiva in Jerusalem and rented an apartment nearby. I brought my keyboard with me. It was a very lonely time. All my close friends stayed in the previous yeshiva, and suddenly I found myself in a huge new yeshiva where I didn’t know a single person.

“In the apartment too, I had no friends. I’ll never forget one night when I opened the keyboard and began to play. I pleaded with God to save me from that loneliness. God heard my prayer, and three months later I got engaged. I started going out on shidduchim, and it happened very quickly. I hadn’t asked to get married; I didn’t even dream about it. But I’m grateful that God arranged things that way.”

How did your family handle everything you went through in those years?

“They were simply amazing. During my long period of confusion, the thing that kept me afloat was my home. My parents have very strong personalities, and our home truly protected me. Even in the most difficult times I always knew I had a place to return to.

“After my wedding we moved to Petach Tikvah, and I began doing National Service. Later I worked at several typical young-adult jobs, and meanwhile I continued playing at events. At a certain point I decided to change direction and started working in high-tech. I studied software development and worked in the field for several years. But the longing for creativity never left me, and eventually I realized that music was where I truly belonged.

“So I left high-tech on good terms and began writing songs professionally. A short time later I released my first song, Karov Yom, which is musically very complex. I even know of music schools that include it in their curriculum. I was surprised by the strong reactions — it gave me a very distinct musical identity, and many people were excited by it because they weren’t used to hearing this style. I’m very influenced by classical music and also Israeli mainstream music, and that combination creates a unique sound.

“I continued releasing songs and also wrote for other artists. One evening I sat down to write a song for my friend Yeedle Werdyger. Within about half an hour, the song was ready — something that had never happened to me before. I called it Oto HaYom. I played it for my wife, and she said: ‘There’s no way you’re giving this one away — it’s the best song you’ve ever written.’

“I sent it to the producer I was working with, Ahreleh Nachshoni, and he agreed: I shouldn’t give it away. The truth is that I didn’t connect to it as much personally — and connecting to my songs is very important to me, but I released it anyway.

“The song became a huge success and remains a major milestone in my career. It opened doors I had never imagined. It allowed me to perform with major artists on big stages. It also came out at the start of the COVID pandemic, and it touched many people because it speaks about a better future and hope. People were very down at that time, and the song helped them cope with the frightening new reality.”

A Gift From Heaven

After the success of Oto HaYom, Moshe says, he struggled to continue releasing music and entered a difficult period.

“At first I thought I had finally caught a positive wave — but right after the song’s success I experienced a sort of low. I had a creative block and couldn’t write or compose anything. Maybe it came from fear — fear of what would come next, fear of releasing something that wouldn’t succeed. A few months later I released Makom L’Tao’yot, which was written before the crisis. After that came a moment where I told myself: ‘Maybe that’s it. Maybe you’re done. Why do you need this? It’s only headaches, stress, self-criticism. Go get a normal job and be done with it.’”

We know how the story ends — you didn’t stop creating. What kept you going?

“A few days after those thoughts, I received an email from a woman. She wrote: ‘Hi Moshe. My close friend was diagnosed with cancer. The day she arrived at the hospital and received the devastating news, she went down to her car — and the first song that played on the radio was Oto HaYom. From that moment the song accompanied her throughout her difficult and painful treatments. This week she finishes her final treatment, and she wants you to come play the song for her as a farewell from the hospital.’

“I was incredibly moved. I went and sang for her — and it meant so much to me.

“A few days later I also heard from a friend that his mother was lying in the hospital on her deathbed. In her last days — including the last day of her life, she asked that my songs be played in the room. That touched me deeply.

“Through these experiences I understood that even if I wanted to leave music, maybe I couldn’t — because it’s a mission from Heaven. You don’t walk away from such a mission so easily. You must fight for your mission before abandoning it — if you ever abandon it at all.

“Since then, the only thing that fuels my writing is not money or honor, but the knowledge that my music touches people, strengthens them, gives them hope and comfort in moments when they truly need it.

“Beyond that, I learned something crucial from my creative block: in the beginning I thought songs come from inspiration and flow easily. But I learned that many times there is no inspiration. And if you wait for it, you might wait weeks, months, even half a year — and nothing comes out. The next stage was realizing that you shouldn’t wait for inspiration at all. You just work hard. You write and compose whatever comes. And thank God, when I adopted that approach, doors opened again, and I continued writing and releasing successful songs.

“For example, my latest song, Achim, was written a year ago during a time of intense social division around the elections. The song speaks about the importance of unity among the Jewish people. It spread widely and is very relevant even now with the tensions around the judicial reform.

“In addition, thank God, the success of the songs allowed me to begin working on a new, large-scale show with a new band, which launched a few weeks ago. More new songs are coming soon.
Through it all, I pray constantly that the messages in my songs will be positive and uplifting — both in Heaven’s eyes and for the people who listen. And if they succeed in strengthening others in faith, in hope, and in good spirit — then I know I have done my part.”