Joshua Nelson

A gospel singer in the tradition of Mahalia Jackson and a full-time Hebrew teacher at Sharey-Tefilo-Israel in South Orange, New Jersey, Joshua Nelson create a new sound that blends Jewish liturgical and African American spiritual styles.

Growing up in Brooklyn Nelson became fascinated with both, Jewish and gospel music he was surrounded by. After studying in Israel at college and kibbutz at the Hebrew Union College and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Nelson began to mix Hebrew texts with gospel melodies and arranging Jewish hymns in a gospel style.

Through his compositions, gospel singing and chanting Torah, Nelson has become known as the musical embodiment of cultural harmony – a rich voice with personal mission to build bridges between races and cultures.

Over his extensive career as a singer, Nelson has performed with musical legends such as Aretha Franklin, Wynton Marsalis, Kirk Franklin, the late Dizzy Gillespie and the Klezmatics.