Rabbi Joe Black Music

Rabbi Joe Black is an award-winning songwriter and nationally recognized musician. He has recorded 7 albums of original music and published two songbooks - along with  several poems and articles in leading national literary and academic journals.  He is a frequent contributor to anthologies and collections of Jewish writing. He has performed for congregations and communities around the world. His recordings and books have received accolades from sources as diverse as American Songwriter Magazine, The New York Times,  Parent’s Choice, The American Library Journal and Kids First: The Coalition for Quality Children’s Video.

He is a two-time winner of American Songwriter Magazine’s Lyric contest. He has also published two Children’s book for the PJ Library, a songbook, a book of Limericks for every weekly Torah portion, and recorded five critically acclaimed albums of Jewish music. His compositions have been recorded by numerous artists and he and his music are featured in a variety of Contemporary Jewish Music compilation CD’s. His poetry and prose have been published widely.   

Joe is Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Emanuel in Denver, CO. He retired from the pulpit after a 38 year career. He previously served as Senior Rabbi of Congregation Albert in Albuquerque, New Mexico and was both  Assistant and  Associate Rabbi at Temple Israel in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

As a musician, Joe is known for his guitar virtuosity, soaring voice and lyrics that are at the same time, funny, inspirational, and thought provoking.  His music is an extension of his Rabbinate. After an 18 year hiatus from recording, Joe went back to the studio in December of 2021 to record two new albums of original music: Praying With Our Feet – a collection of Jewish music, and Wire and Wood – new secular songs.