At Nafshi, Chabad niggunim come alive, not as performances, but as windows into the soul. Two different artists, two unique journeys; Eli Marcus and Joey Newcomb share how music, memory, and melody bring people together in an experience that transcends the stage.
On their favorite niggunim:
Eli Marcus: It changes as life changes, but right now it has to be Zalman Zlatopolsky’s niggun. He sang it for the Rebbe Rashab while reliving the moment he first saw the Rebbe. This niggun feels like a window into the heart of a chassid years before us.
To Eli, a niggun isn’t just heard, it’s felt. It’s a living memory and connection to the devotion of those who came before.
Joey Newcomb: How do you pick? It changes every month. To choose one, I’d have to sit and mamash do hisbonenus. The Poltava niggun really captures me. The first time I heard it, I was just ‘wow, wow, wow.’ It hits me so deep.”
For Joey, niggunim strike like lightning; sudden, overwhelming, and impossible to ignore.
On what Nafshi means to them:
Eli Marcus: Between the inspiration and the niggunim, the evening is all-encompassing. It’s less of a performance and more of an experience. We’re taking a journey together. Nafshi is an immersion, an hour where the world pauses and a Yid hears his own soul.
Joey Newcomb: Nafshi is not a concert. It’s a farbrengen. It’s Yidden celebrating redemption, celebrating the light of geulah.”
19 Kislev is a doorway into the Alter Rebbe’s light, into Chassidus, into a world where geulah feels close enough to touch.
Joey’s Journey & Chassidus
While Chabad niggunim have always been part of Eli’s life, Joey’s journey didn’t start in a Chabad setting.
Joey shared that his “first real connection was in the Mir. A Yid lent me his iPod with a farbrengen recording of the Rebbe singing ‘Tzoma Lecha’ and the oilam answering. I was blown away.”
That week, Joey bought every Chabad niggun he could find.
Through the years, Joey’s connection became deeply personal. “I named one of my daughters Devorah Leah after the Alter Rebbe,” he said, and shared: “This is my fourth year of Chitas. After learning Tanya, everything changed: my perspective, my avodah. For me, Chassidus isn’t just inspiring, it’s oxygen. What I love most about it is that it empowers me to be a proper eved Hashem.”
Eli’s sensitivity. Joey’s fire.
Two different artists. One shared truth: a niggun is not merely a song, it’s a life-force. Nafshi is not just a concert; it’s a moment of geulah.
Together, they farbreng in joy and song, creating a space where every participant can feel the power of melody.
Experience it for yourself – reserve your seats at Nafshi today!
