Benny Friedman’s new single “Vesechezena” — off his soon-to-be released fifth studio album — was chosen for the early release this past Tishrei, when both Benny and his producer Sruly Meyer were in Eretz Yisrael. “It’s a beautiful song, but we hadn’t yet chosen a title for it. Then, right before Yom Kippur came the tragic stabbing of Ari Fuld Hashem yikom damo, and everyone in Israel felt shock and pain. Toward the end of Succos, Benny and I were together with Yitzy Berry and Eli Klein in Reb Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz’s succah in the Old City overlooking the Kosel, playing for some guests. We decided to sample this new song in the succah, and it just felt so right. Once we returned to America and started working on a single cover, we both knew the art would be of the Kosel — and what better name than “Vesechezena.” I sent Benny a bunch of photos I took my last morning in Jerusalem — at sunrise by the Kosel — and it reminded Benny of a photo he saw posted by Ari Fuld on Hoshana Rabbah 5778, exactly a year before he was stabbed to death. It captured the song’s essence perfectly. We asked for permission from Ari’s family, and they were very excited to be able to allow us to use Ari’s incredible photo to give a visual to this song, which speaks of our yearning for the final redemption and for all of Klal Yisrael to return to Tzion. May Ari’s merit watch over us and protect us until Mashiach is finally here and we can live, once and for all in peace, in Eretz Yisrael.” (Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 739)