Avraham Fried

Avraham Shabsi Hakohen Friedman (אברהם שבתי הכהן פרידמן, born March 22, 1959) better known by his stage name, Avraham Fried, is a popular musical entertainer in the Orthodox Jewish community.

Fried was encouraged towards a music career by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the rebbe of Lubavitch, Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum, Mordechai Ben David and producer Sheya Mendlowitz.

Fried began his career with the release of his first album No Jew Will Be Left Behind in 1981.

The title song was composed by Yossi Green and the song "Kel Hahodaos" was written by Rabbi Baruch Chait of Kol Salonika & The Rabbis' Sons.

Music by the Zimriah Orchestra, arranged by Marty Lewinter.

Fried went on to collaborate with Sheya Mendlowitz and Yossi Green on eight albums.

Green is credited with some of Fried's biggest hits, including "Aderaba", "Tanya", and "Didoh Bei".

Fried also collaborated most notably with arranger Moshe Laufer over the years, but worked with a number of other arrangers including Marty Lewinter, Yisroel Lamm (the Neginah Orchestra), Suki Berry, Mona Rosenblum, Hershel Lebovits, Yaron Gershovsky, and others.

Avremel, as many of his friends call him had appeared as a guest soloist on the Amudai Shaish Orchestra's Kol Sason V'kol Simcha - Wedding Album in 1981.

During that same year he appeared as special guest star on Suki With a Touch of Ding II - Wedding Album.

He also appeared as an adult soloist on the Amudai Shaish Boys Choir's third album (their second double album), in 1982.

He also sang on a number of all-star cast albums produced by Suki & Ding.

Avraham was the headline performer along with Mordechai Ben David and others at the Ohel [Organization] concerts in Madison Square Garden during the late 1990's.

In summer 2009, Fried made a concert tour in Israel where he introduced Israeli singer and composer Chanan Yovel and featured the songs "Rak T'filla" ("רק תפילה") and "U'Nesane Tokef" ("ונתנה תוקף").

His music is mostly categorized as pop Jewish music, similar to Mordechai Ben David and tends to integrate many styles of popular music, including pop, rock and jazz, with Jewish lyrics and themes.

He also has a few "cantor" style songs on most of his albums, as well as many songs written in Yiddish.

Fried's grandfather, Rabbi Meir Yisroel Isser Friedman, was the Rav of Krenitz, a renowned halakhist and Sanzer Hasid.

After World War II he resided in Crown Heights for many years, before moving to Borough Park, Brooklyn.

His father, Yaakov Moshe Friedman, OBM, was a Hasid of the Rebbe of Bluzhov, and worked as an administrator at the United Lubavitcher Yeshiva in Crown Heights for 40 years.

Fried is the youngest of eight children of the Friedman family.

He has five brothers and two sisters.

Fried and his siblings were all educated in Lubavitcher institutions, becoming Lubavitcher Hasidim.

His brothers are all involved in Chabad outreach; his brother, Rabbi Manis Friedman, is an author, lecturer and shaliach (emissary) in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Benzion and Eliyahu are shlichim in Overland Park, Kansas, and Safed, Israel, respectively.

Yossi works at the Kehot Publication Society and Shlomo at Lubavitch Youth Organization.

Two sisters, Feige Green in Florida and Ita Marcus in California, are also engaged in outreach.

His nephews include Jewish singers Benny Friedman (son of Manis), Eli Marcus & Shmuel and Bentzi Marcus (sons of Ita) of 8th Day, and Simche Friedman (son of Eliyahu).

Fried and his wife have six children and they live in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

He is a Kohen.

Fried has appeared several times in the annual A Time for Music HASC concert to benefit HASC (Hebrew Academy for Special Children), an organization that provides Jewish children with disabilities the chance to live a normal lifestyle.

He most recently appeared in the 37th HASC concert, which took place at NJPAC in New Jersey on January 7, 2024.