Avraham Fried

Avraham Fried (born Avraham Shabsi Hakohen Friedman; March 22, 1959) is an American Orthodox Jewish singer and composer renowned for his influential role in Hasidic music, particularly within the Chabad-Lubavitch community, where he blends traditional nigunim with contemporary pop, rock, and jazz elements to create uplifting Yiddish, Hebrew, and English songs.

Raised in a Chabad family in New York, Fried began his musical journey as a young choir boy on early recordings before his voice changed, later resuming his career inspired by the teachings of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe. He released his debut album, No Jew Will Be Left Behind, in 1981, featuring the hit "Kel Hahodaos," marking the start of a prolific career that has spanned over four decades.

He grew up as the youngest of eight children in a devout Lubavitcher Hasidic family in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, where the household emphasized Torah study, mitzvot, and communal service. His father, Rabbi Yakov Moshe HaKohen Friedman (1924–2004), was a dedicated Chabad shliach who worked for over four decades as an administrator at the Central Lubavitcher Yeshiva and played a key role in post-World War II Jewish rescue efforts, including aiding thousands of survivors in Europe. The family resided near the home of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, fostering frequent personal interactions that reinforced their deep commitment to the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and its mission of outreach.

Fried's formative years were steeped in Jewish religious education through Lubavitcher institutions, where he engaged in rigorous Torah learning and active participation in synagogue life, including chassidic gatherings and farbrengens. This environment profoundly shaped his spiritual identity, particularly his heritage as a Kohen—a descendant of the ancient priestly tribe—reflected in his full Hebrew name, Avraham Shabsi HaKohen Friedman. Additionally, the Friedman family's musical inclinations provided early inspiration; several relatives pursued careers in Jewish music, including his nephew Benny Friedman and his nephews Shmuel and Bentzion Marcus of the band 8th Day, whose talents highlighted the clan's creative legacy and influenced Fried's own path toward professional singing.

Avraham Fried's early musical development was deeply rooted in the Hasidic traditions of his Chabad-affiliated family and the Crown Heights community in New York City, where he was exposed to wordless niggunim during synagogue services and family gatherings from a young age. These melodies, central to Chabad practice, served as a primary influence, fostering his appreciation for music as a vehicle for spiritual elevation and emotional expression. Additionally, the cantorial traditions of Jewish liturgy, heard in communal settings, shaped his vocal style, emphasizing emotive delivery and connection to sacred texts.