Saul Kaye is a Jewish Music artist, rabbinic intern, and spiritual leader who has spent his career bringing the Delta to the Torah. Trained at Berklee College of Music and a graduate of UC Berkeley (BA, Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures), Saul pioneered the genre of Jewish Blues — forging a sound that lives where Muddy Waters meets Shlomo Carlebach, where the struggle of African slavery and the experience of Jewish exile speak to each other across centuries. Like his great-grandfather, who blazed a trail from Russia to South Africa trading cattle between warring tribes, Saul has always crossed borders others thought uncrossable.
He has released ten full-length albums under his own name and produced seven for other artists, performing over 100 shows and services annually across four continents. He is also the host of The Holy Sparks Podcast, which showcases people doing impactful work in the Jewish world and beyond, and the author of three books.
In recent years, Saul's work has deepened beyond the stage. He completed a two-year certification in Jewish Meditation and is currently studying at the Academy of Jewish Religion's Rabbinical School, on track to receive his Rabbinical Smicha (ordination). Most every Shabbat, he can be found leading services somewhere in the United States — as a guest artist, a Kabbalat Shabbat leader, or an Artist in Residence woven into a full community weekend of music, teaching, and Torah.
Saul is available to Jewish communities for concerts, weekend residencies, lifecycle events, and educational programs. He is passionate about connecting Jews to Judaism, growing Jewish community, and finding the sacred in the blues. Saul has been a featured Artist at the Wexner Heritage Program, the Urj Biennial, New Caje, Limmud UK, all the major Jewish Music Festivals, and is currently serving as a Rabbinic Intern at Temple Israel in Alameda.
What Communities Are Saying
★★★★★
"Saul became a beloved part of our clergy team... He is a blessing to the Jewish People."
"Congregation Beth Israel in Scottsdale had the honor of welcoming Saul Kaye as our Rabbinic Intern. During the year, Saul became a beloved member of our clergy team and an inspiring teacher of Jewish meditation and mindfulness for both children and adults. Through exceptional music, spiritual leadership, and genuine presence, he lifted the spirit of our congregation. He is a truly gifted human being and a blessing to the Jewish People."
Rabbi Stephen Kahn
Congregation Beth Israel • Scottsdale, Arizona
April 2026
★★★★★
"Your beautiful music and kavanah are a seamless blend."
"Saul, what a blessing to have you with us this past Shabbat. Your beautiful music and kavanah are a seamless blend. Yishar kochacha, and thank you for elevating our prayers."
Rabbi Larry Milder
Congregation Beth Emek • Pleasanton, California
August 2023
★★★★★
"He's got it, y'all."
"I met Saul while playing a blues festival in California. Jewish blues? Bet your ass. The slide cuts. The voice evokes ghosts, just like the blues ought to. Saul needs to come see me down in Clarksdale. I'll take him to the Crossroads with his guitar and see if he can scare the Devil all the way back to Sheol."
Watermelon Slim (William P. Homans III)
Award-winning Blues Artist • Multiple Blues Music Award Winner
★★★★★
"One of the most magical weekends of the year."
"Saul and Elana gave us one of the most magical weekends of the year. Through song, stories, and meditative moments they transformed every space they entered. Experiencing Shabbat through their eyes created an atmosphere that was deeply personal, joyful, and bold. I can't wait to welcome them back."
Cantor Alicia Stillman
Temple Israel • Boston, Massachusetts
April 2022
★★★★★
"A fun, inspiring intergenerational weekend."
"It was wonderful to welcome Saul and Elana to our community. Saul's blues guitar is simply extraordinary, while Elana has a remarkable gift with children. Together they created a joyful, meaningful weekend for every generation. Couple that with their laid-back professionalism, and we can't say enough."
Rabbi Aaron Meyer
Temple Emanuel of South Hills • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
February 2022
★★★★★
"Working with Saul is a true joy."
"For more than five years Saul has led our Power Hour, bringing a unique blend of spiritual engagement, extraordinary musicianship, and an uncanny ability to read the energy of the room. He has helped many people discover a meaningful connection to Shabbat who otherwise might never have found it."
Bill Futornick
Congregation Beth Jacob • Redwood City, California
March 2019
★★★★★
"Saul's music is a vehicle for positive change."
"Saul has a God-given talent developed through tremendous dedication. He used that gift to bless our Jewish community and our Christian and Muslim neighbors during our interfaith Jewish Blues Concert. His music—bringing together things that don't ordinarily belong together to create something even more beautiful—is a powerful vehicle for positive change."
Rabbi Marshall Klaven
Congregation B'nai Israel • Galveston, Texas
March 2017
★★★★★
"Highly recommended."
"Saul brought his enthusiastic yet laid-back personality, blues sensibility, and spiritual openness to Temple Sholom of Chicago. His artistic and spiritual gifts greatly enhanced our Shabbat experience."
Rabbi Edwin Goldberg
Temple Sholom • Chicago, Illinois
October 2015