We’re excited to share that Dan Nichols will be joining Temple Solel as our guest cantorial soloist for the upcoming 2026 High Holy Days, with additional collaborations planned throughout the season.
Stay tuned, more wonderful updates are on the way!
Dan Nichols -Bio
Dan is a product of the URJ Jewish camping movement. He has toured Jewish summer camps across North America for the last 25 years. A classically trained singer, Dan received his Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance at the University of North Carolina. In 1995, realizing the potential of music to make powerful connections with Jewish youth, Dan established the Jewish rock band Eighteen. Since that time, Dan and Eighteen have released 13 albums. Songs like, L’takein, B’tzelem Elohim, Kehillah Kedoshah, Chazak, Sweet As Honey, and Asher Yatzar have become Jewish communal anthems throughout North America.
Dan has toured over 190 days for the last 20+ years, where he often serves as artist-in-residence and teacher for congregations and camp communities. He has served on the faculty of Hava Nashira since 2001. In 2009 he cofounded Shulhouse Rock, a songleading workshop for Jewish high-school students. He has performed live in Israel at the historic fortress of Masada and in the studio for the groundbreaking XM Radio presentation of Radio Hanukkah.
Dan created the Road to Eden Deep South Sukkot Tour to bring the message of Sukkot to communities in the southern United States, where he and his band played 11 shows in 10 days. Their experiences are captured in the documentary film, Road to Eden. In addition to these highlights, Dan has been featured at conferences and conventions of nearly every major Jewish movement, including the URJ Biennial, NFTY Convention, BBYO International, Limmud and the Wexner Heritage Program.
Get a taste of Dan’s music, including some his songs we sing at Temple Solel, for some inspiration:
Road to Eden
Road to Eden: Rock & Roll Sukkot is a feature-length documentary centered on Dan Nichols himself – it follows his real-life journey and activities. The story captures Nichols, a well-known Jewish musician, taking his band Eighteen on a road tour through the Deep South during the Sukkot festival. The documentary explores his concerts, interactions with people along the way, and how the experience shaped him and those he met, while conveying deeper themes about Jewish life, tradition, social issues, and the idea of striving toward a “better world.”
Just before the upcoming High Holy Days, we will be screening this personal documentary featuring Dan Nichols here at Temple Solel.
Stay tuned!