Grammy-Nominated Artist Peter Himmelman’s Journey To Observance

While nominated for a Grammy, the son-in-law to Bob Dylan, and on MTV, Peter Himmelman entered the world of Orthodox observance right after landing a dream record deal and being on MTV. He was asked to go on tour with Sting, but he had just begun keeping Shabbos. His book “Suspended By No String” was recently released.

Peter Himmelman might be from America’s heartland, however, his heart was awakened when he met Rabbi Simon Jacobson–a ticket in town considered hotter than Diane Keaton and Woody Allen–who explained the concept of a Tzadik (righteous man). Not the colloquial use of the word, but the real word, Himmelman specified; a Tzadik is someone who sees every moment as a moment of wonder, as miraculous.

Originally from St. Louis Park (referred to as St. Jewish Park by those familiar with the area), Himmelman was brought up as a Conservative Jew. He says that “meant in some ways that were I ever to have discussed God in a serious way in my home, it’s likely that one of my parents would have sought psychological help for me,” which he notes stands in contrast to his grandmother speaking Yiddish, his mother lighting Shabbos candles, and the family visiting Israel following the Six Day War. “We were very Jewish, although I used to help my mom stud hams,” said Himmelman.

His eventual observance was preceded by the initial tension that many feel when crossing the threshold from secular to observant. Himmelman is careful to say that no one really influenced his becoming Orthodox. “Finding my way to observant Judaism was a very natural process because I always had a belief,” he explains. “When somebody says they have a belief in God, it’s hard to categorize. What does that actually mean?” 

Himmelman went on to explain that as a musician, he views himself as a co-creator with God. “I always felt that it was self-evident that the world had been created, that the world is in a constant state of creation, and maybe that’s because I’m a bit of a creator,” he reflects. “For me, there was a propitious setup to this, given the fact that I’ve always had this sort of nascent understanding of a creator.” He long believed that the universe was a “friendly place,” but wasn’t “tapped into” the canon of Jewish texts that so often helps to illuminate one’s understanding of how the world functions and how we should live.

A catalyst in Himmelman’s journey is that when he was 24 years old, his father, “a heroic figure” to him, passed away. Immediately after, he moved to New York City, which was planned but not feasible during his father’s final days. It was upon Himmelman’s exploration of the New York music scene that a producer named Kenny Vance introduced him to Rabbi Simon Jacobson. 

Himmelman’s world expanded as he learned mystical Jewish ideas from Rabbi Jacobson. Something Himmelman emphasizes was that he had always known some fundamental truth of the world but didn’t have the language or community to reinforce it, until he encountered observant Judaism. 

He chose not to continue on a path to being a rock star to live a life aligned with his values, “I was on the road for 230 days, and I just realized that as important as becoming a rock star was it wasn’t number one, it was number two. And I don’t think being a rock star is number two anymore, more for me, but making music and creativity is number two. The first one, the first thing at the top of the you know, tree here, is God and family. God and family and country.” 

Himmelman’s book Suspended By No String was recently released. The book quenches the spiritual thirst of yearners and searchers who recognize deeper truths and appreciate an inventive approach to grappling with big ideas. It’s available from Target and Amazon.

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