SONG OF THE SOUL According to Sicarel all sorts of people stop to hear him perform from chareidim to those who know nothing about Torah. Non-Jews will also stop and listen. “Music is a universal language” he says. “It reaches everyone” (Photos: David Mor)

T he Mamilla Mall which connects several five-star hotels to the Old City’s Jaffa Gate has become one of Jerusalem’s most popular venues for shopping dining and just strolling about and taking in the vibrant scene. On many days it’s the site of an unexpected spiritual encounter as well — at least for those who follow the haunting music to its source: A Yerushalmi-garbed Yid who plays the guitar while singing Jewish songs that create a holy yearning in the soul.

Those who work in the mall know him well; they’re used to seeing him standing in the same spot rain or shine playing for hours. Like the lampposts at the street corners or the electricity poles he has become a permanent fixture.

But for those who take a closer look the face of this musician with the soft velvety voice and somewhat forlorn look in his eyes seems vaguely familiar. And so it should because not so long ago Yosef Sicarel was a well-known Israeli performer.

This isn’t a hard-luck tale though. Instead it’s the story of a man who took a different path gleaning invaluable insights along the way while reaching out to others with light and love.

Music fans might remember one of Sicarel’s earlier gigs when he was a member of the chassidic Hopaleh trio. The three gifted musicians — actors Ofer Halevi and Shlomi Zim were the other two performers — were baalei teshuvah who found their way back to Torah life while attending Arachim seminars during the late 1990s. For more than a decade they performed at hundreds of Arachim seminars inspiring audiences and proving that top-quality music could be found in the ultra-Orthodox community.

The trio broke up in 2005 but got back together in 2009 and still perform together today. But as new stars took the front stage in the Torah community they too began to branch out independently into other fields of frum entertainment.

“If you had told me five years ago that one day I would be singing in the street I would have responded by saying that you yourself should go and do it ” Sicarel says with a laugh. “But this is how Hashem turned things around and I go along with His plans. I’m used to performing on a stage so it’s not a problem for me to stand in the middle of the street and sing while everyone looks on. There is a great advantage to being a street musician. And doing outreach here is much more powerful and dynamic impacting many more people. And besides I need to make a living don’t I?”

I Had Everything

Sicarel was born 53 years ago to a nonreligious family although they did keep a bit of tradition. They lived in Shikun Hei in Be’er Sheva where says Sicarel life was full of “action.”