Last summer’s hostilities in Israel’s northern region struck a chord with Eric Ginsberg, founder of the Red Bank Music Community; in fact, Ginsberg’s passion for music is matched only by his love of family and passion for the Jewish homeland.

Ginsberg, who resides in Marlboro, has visited Israel four times: He was nine years old when he accompanied his family for his sister’s bat mitzva on Masada in 1990, returned to Israel in 1992 with other members of his family, became a bar mitzva at the Kotel in Jerusalem in 1994, and spent three weeks touring throughout the Jewish state in 1995.

“The sense of history — thousands of years of history — strikes me every time I go to Israel,” said Ginsberg. “As a child, I remember hearing phrases during Jewish holidays, like ‘Next year in Jerusalem,’ and ‘Next year there will be freedom for all Jews everywhere.’ As a Jew, and particularly as a Jewish adult, it’s my responsibility to support that freedom. Israelis have paid a very high price to get it and keep it.”

That includes freedom of expression. Although this concept is important to anyone with a creative bent, it is especially important to this singer/songwriter/musician.

“I’m always hopeful that there will be peaceful solutions to the threats and violence that continue to plague Israel,” he said. “But quite honestly, I don’t see an end to the violence in the near future, and that is a very heartbreaking set of circumstances. But the pathways that music provides — like the endorsement of peaceful approaches and an honest exploration of the ways and means to get there — are invaluable to the process,” Ginsberg said.

He brings the same sense of commitment to the Red Bank Music Community, which he founded in 2003.

The RBMC’s mission may sound simple — it’s dedicated to nontraditional music education by providing music events and musical opportunities to members of the general public — but the boundless enthusiasm that inspired its creation reflects Ginsberg’s ability to think outside the box. As a result, what started as a songwriters’ workshop now encompasses a drum circle, an open mic night, a percussion workshop, a guest speaker series, and Saturday “make-tunes” sessions during which children can make their own musical instruments.

During RBMC’s short history, Ginsberg has amassed an impressive group of sponsors, including the Count Basie Theatre, the Two River Theater Company, the Internet Café, Frankensound, Honey Child Music, Drummer’s Alley, the Red Bank Visitors’ Center, and Echo, all in Red Bank; and WBJB, 90.5 The Night, the radio station of Brookdale Community College in Lincroft.

In turn, RBMC sponsors the Brookdale Songwriters’ and Lyricists’ Club and conducts its own songwriters’ workshop at 7:30 p.m. every Tuesday.

“We welcome singers/songwriters, bands, aspiring commercial songwriters, lyricists, musicians, and poets,” Ginsberg said. “Just bring copies of your lyrics, a positive attitude, and an open mind. Everyone gets a chance to give and receive constructive criticism.”

And although RBMC has deliberately not aligned itself with a particular political philosophy, music has always been an outlet in which to express or identify that which is important to the composer, Ginsberg said.

“As I continue to grow and expand my own horizons, it’s a safe bet that my passion for politics in general, and Israeli politics in particular, probably won’t ever be far away from the things that remain important to me,” he said. “Israel’s constant struggle to survive as a nation means a lot to me on a personal level. But political events do not dictate the structure or programmatic activities of the Red Bank Music Community. The word ‘community’ is a very important part of the name of this group.”

Ginsberg is eager to see what areas of interest become important to his son, George, age seven.

“When I was a kid, I was taught about the importance of compassion and about the destructive qualities of racism,” he said. “I want to share those lessons with my son so that he can develop passions in whatever areas he chooses.”

RBMC’s current membership base consists of approximately 200 individuals, primarily from Monmouth and Ocean counties. Although Ginsberg is the group’s “host,” a three-person board of trustees is always eager to obtain input from members; the drum circle is the result of recent member input and interest.

“The constant exchange of information has led to music education in a nontraditional way,” said Ginsberg. “We all learn from each other’s ideas, experiences, and suggestions. As a result, we’ve become more prolific writers and performers.”

And he would like to take those enhanced performance skills on his next trip to Israel.

Additional information about the time and location of RBMC events may be obtained by visiting the organization’s Web site.