Joel Chernoff was born in Atlanta, GA, but moved to Cincinnati, OH, at a very young age. He was raised in the Midwest and brought up as a Messianic Jew, or a Jew that also believes that Jesus is their savior. He moved to Philadelphia after high school and started the first Messianic Jewish rock band, Lamb, in 1972. They recorded on independent labels and became popular in the Christian rock underground, eventually breaking up in 1992. He became an important figure in the Messianic movement, eventually becoming inspired enough to return to music in the late '90s. He released The Restoration of Israel in 1999, followed by Come Dance With Me in 2002. ~ Bradley Torreano