Ari Lesser
Ari Lesser is a singer, songwriter, rapper, and spoken word artist from Cleveland, Ohio. He has a degree in Political Science from the University of Oregon and also spent time in Israel studying at Yeshivot in Tzfat and Jerusalem.
He has performed around the world and written hundreds of songs on a wide range of subjects. Ari’s repertoire is expansive, touching on everything from modern politics to ancient Jewish mysticism.
He can step into character and rap from the perspectives of hundreds of different personalities living and dead, real and fictional, human and animal. He has also created rhymed translations of dozens of Psalms and other traditional prayers, bringing their powerful timeless message back into the realm of song.
Ari’s performance gives life to words in a way that is inspirational, accurate, educational, and very entertaining for English speaking audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
Fresh Start - My Family History
With nearly a hundred rabbis in his family, Ari comes from European roots. He attended Yeshiva in Vilna, though the path didn’t quite work out as planned, and he never received smicha due to lingering doubts. He married around age twenty‑five, raised six children, and worked tirelessly just to get by.
His father, Avner, was a learned and brilliant man, always eager to educate the children. Because teachers’ pay was meager, he also served as a mashgiach, ensuring kosher meat was properly marked so the community knew what they could eat.
Minda, his wife, raised the children while earning a bit on the side by knitting and selling mittens, gloves, and socks. She kept a fully kosher kitchen with four sets of dishes and prepared all the traditional Yiddish foods — from gefilte fish to knishes. Despite being a working mother, she still found time to pray, davening from her siddur every single day. Her deepest hope was that her sons would carry on their Jewish traditions, especially knowing the dangers they faced.
In Russia, military service was mandatory. Once a man turned twenty, he was drafted — no exceptions. Conscription into the Czar’s army meant fifteen years away from home, and very few returned as observant Jews. Avner and Minda knew they had to find a way out for the sake of their six sons, who were quickly approaching draft age.
Their plan was to immigrate to the United States, but with limited funds, the family had to wait. Avner sailed to America alone, hoping to earn enough to bring everyone over. Exhausted and poor, he arrived in Baltimore and began working harder than ever. He stayed with Minda’s cousin to save on rent, lived frugally, and hustled six days a week selling and repairing umbrellas — proving himself a remarkably handy fellow.
After six years of saving every possible cent, he finally had enough for the family’s passage. Minda and the boys packed up what little they owned, left Russia behind, and sailed to America. The reunion was filled with joy — after six long years apart, the family was whole again. Soon after, Minda gave birth to Jennie, a testament to their renewed life together. She was eight years younger than the youngest of her six brothers and the first member of the family born in the United States.