Jeremy Asher Gaisin recently used his music to bring comfort to a man in a rehabilitation center, and to an entire shul. Gaisin was in New York City to record and was attending a Torah class at Talia’s Steakhouse. He received an out-of-the-blue request from a fellow attendee, asking him to play music for someone in need. Despite concerns about preserving his voice for his upcoming recording session, he felt compelled to share his musical talents.

Upon arriving at the rehab center, Gaisin was met with deep appreciation from the man’s family and friends in the tightly packed room. They were later joined by Rabbi Naftali Citron, shlita, of the Carlebach Shul, where the man had once been president, creating a beautiful moment of shared song and Torah.

“It was very emotional,” Gaisin recalled. “At one point, I had trouble keeping my composure. It reminded me of when my own father was sick.” Gaisin was also touched to hear that the man, Ted, was a fellow Kohen, like his family.

Ted’s cousin thanked him before he left, saying, “What you did for us today was extraordinarily meaningful. It is an experience I will never forget.”

Regrettably, Ted passed away the following day, Erev Shabbos. The rabbi let Gaisin know that the family had commented that Ted had “breathed easier with the music.”

As it turned out Gaisin was the guest chazan at the Carlebach Shul over Shabbos and there was a mix of emotions in the synagogue, as people there who knew Ted made mention of him, and Gaisin sought to uplift the congregation with song, and rounded out Shabbos with a musical Havdalah.