Bio

Robbie Schaefer is a rabbi, singer-songwriter, and theatre/film artist who is head over heels in love with the Jewish people. The guitarist and songwriter for the indie folk band Eddie From Ohio (winners of 7 Wammie Awards; over 150,000 cd’s sold) has several solo releases as well, including the 2023 single Under The Sun. 

He is the founder of Lamplighters, an online community that cultivates small-batch, relationship-driven, inclusive Judaism, and received smicha (ordination) as a rabbi from Pluralistic Rabbinical Seminary in 2024.

As a solo performer Robbie has shared the stage with Sara Bareilles, Jason Mraz, Josh Groban, Michael McDonald, Keb’ Mo and Emmylou Harris, among others. His performances–intimate, witty and soulful—are little adventures, says writer/artist Jen Lemen . . .

“ . . . Robbie Schaefer lives, loves, creates music and holds space for anyone who’s up for suspending time so we can actually remember what it feels like to be human again. Aliveness is his jam and he helps us find our way by being a regular guy saying the most honest, real thing, whether it’s in a song or an insight that’s just come to him in a flash . . . ”

In 2011, Robbie founded OneVoice, an international non-profit devoted to uniting and empowering youth through music and the creative arts. The organization was active until 2023 and completed projects in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Nicaragua, India, and Pikpa refugee camp in Lesvos, Greece.

He served as on-air host and Music Director at Sirius XM Satellite Radio’s Kids Place Live from 2007-2012, and in 2010 was awarded the New York Festival’s United Nations Award for programming. He has presented TEDx Youth talks in Boulogne-Billancourt (Paris), France in both 2012 and 2016.

His music has been licensed by Samsung, and he has created commissioned works for the American Red Cross, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, and the world premiere of Arlene Hutton’s Gulf View Drive at the Actor’s Co-op in Los Angeles, CA.

In 2018 Robbie made his theatrical stage debut (his highly acclaimed turn as Tevye in Longfellow Middle School’s 1979 production of Fiddler On the Roof notwithstanding) in Light Years, a musical for which he wrote the book, music and lyrics. The musical premiered at the Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre (Arlington, VA) and is now a feature film entitled Burst The Silence, produced by Rolling Pictures. The film spent the past 18 months on the festival circuit and is due for a streaming platform release in late 2025.

Robbie is currently at work on a new musical, The Blue Poppy, an Irish-Jewish ghost story written in collaboration with Scottish playwright Grace Barnes, and Songs From The Wilderness, a new album of Jewish musical midrash (interpretation), due for release in early 2026.

Also, he really loves olives. Like, a lot.