Rabbi Micah Lapidus sings to a group of Davis Academy students.

Rabbi Micah Lapidus, now in his 17th year as the school rabbi at The Davis Academy, is both a rabbi and Doctor of Education. In pursuing his Ed.D., he studied adolescent spirituality, an area germane to his work as a school rabbi. Through his research, he concluded that adolescent spirituality and all spirituality share a common feature: connection. As Rabbi Lapidus succinctly states, "Spirituality is about connection."

As a musician, Rabbi Lapidus understands the power of music to connect. Lapidus shared, "It is the connective power of music that leads so many people to associate music with spirituality."

Concurrent with this realization, Rabbi Lapidus began to compose, record, and share his music with the hopes that it might create even greater connection in his beloved Davis Academy community. Having created four albums of original music with The Davis Academy as well as many additional songs and compositions, Rabbi Lapidus believes in the power of music now more than ever. So, too, does The Davis Academy, which just released a new music video of one of Lapidus' original songs. Entitled, "Kol Yisrael," this song and video are a message of hope for the Jewish community during these challenging times.

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Because music is a powerful vehicle for connection, music has led Rabbi Lapidus to connect not only with his Davis Academy community, but with other communities, artists, and musicians -- most notably, Rabbi Lapidus and Melvin.

Kindall Myles, a gospel singer who sings with the Ebenezer Baptist Church choir. "We have joined forces to create music that expresses our vision for a more loving, just, and peaceful world," he says. They have had opportunities to share their music across Atlanta and beyond.

Rabbi Lapidus believes that spirituality has a vital role to play in helping our society and country move forward. He emphasizes, "Many people feel that these are divisive and polarized times. It is hope that my music will continue to create connections and bring people together."