MOKSA

MONTREAL —Moksa band members Jordan Safer, Adam Jesin and Zeke Kaplan – all graduates of the Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto and all students at McGill University– performed last month in the End Poverty Now Benefit Concert at Café Campus in Montreal.

Moksa opened for The Sins, a band fresh off their tour with rock legend Alice Cooper; and Grady, a grungy blues rock band featuring guitar virtuoso Gordie Johnson, formerly of the band Big Sugar.

Jesin, Moksa’s lead singer and guitarist, believes that the band members’ Jewish high school education directly influenced their desire to give back to the community.

Moksa’s dedication to religious obligation goes beyond just performing in the occasional charity gig.

The band refuses to perform on Shabbat and will decline any invitation to play on Friday night, no matter how tempting it may be. In fact, sound-alike word “muktza” refers to any item that is prohibited on Shabbat.

Kaplan, the band’s lead guitarist, said he named the group Moksa because it also refers to the Sanskrit concept of “moksha,” which means liberation in eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism.

“I gave a lot of thought to that duality, to the two sides of the coin concept: striving for freedom, but staying true to our ancestry and heritage,” said Kaplan. - Canadian Jewish News

The Jan. 10 benefit concert will feature three bands at Cafe Campus — Grady, led by Gordie Johnson from Big Sugar, The Sins, and Jordan Safer's band, MOKSA.


"Global poverty issues are at the back of everybody's mind," said North York resident Safer. "In order for change, people need to care. Nothing happens if no one is talking.”


Visit www.endpovertynow.ca for details.
- North York Mirror