Songs and Prayers
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Songs of protection and healing
Shabbat
Shabbat evening, at home or in synagogue
Shabbat morning in synagogue
Havdalah
Yamim Nora'im (High Holidays)
Shalosh Regalim (the Pilgrimage holidays: Sukkot, Pesach, and Shavuot)
Pesach (Passover)
Chanukah
Songs of protection and healing
Shabbat
Shabbat evening, at home or in synagogue
Shabbat morning in synagogue
Havdalah
Yamim Nora'im (High Holidays)
Shalosh Regalim (the Pilgrimage holidays: Sukkot, Pesach, and Shavuot)
Pesach (Passover)
Chanukah
Songs of protection and healing
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Elohai Oz is an Iraqi Jewish song of healing. The harmonization and translation used here are both created by Cantor Michael David McCloskey and used with permission.
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B'sheim Hashem comes from the bedtime Sh'ma and is also a popular blessing for babynamings and brit milah ceremonies. This setting is written by Shlomo Carlebach. B’sheim Hashem, Elohei Yisra’eil, mimini Micha’eil umismoli Gavrieil, umil’fanai Urieil, umei’achorai R’fa’eil, v’al roshi sh’chinat Eil. In the name of God of Israel: on my right hand Michael, on my left Gabriel, in front of me Uriel, behind me Rafael (the angel of healing) and over my head, the Divine indwelling spirit (Sh’chinah).
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Modxh (Modeh, Modah) Ani is the prayer we say when we wake up each morning, sung here to the melody of the Kolkata Jews as reported by Rahel Musleah. Modxh ani l'fanecha, Melech chay v'kayyam, shehechezarta bi nishmati b'chemlah, rabbah emunatecha. I thank you, living and enduring Power, for you returned my soul to me with compassion; your faithfulness is great.
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Adonai Li is a beautiful setting of the last two lines of the piyyut Adon Olam: B'yado afkid ruchi b'eit ishan v'a'ira, v'im ruchi g'viyati, Adonai li v'lo ira. Into God's hand I put my spirit at the time of sleep, and I will awaken—and if my spirit is in my body, God is with me and I will not fear.
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Shabbat
Shabbat evening, at home or in synagogue
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This beautiful melody to L'cha Dodi—welcoming the face of Shabbat—was written by Batya Levine and recorded by Cantor Vera Broekhuysen and Joy Silvey in June 2020. Used with permission of the composer. |
Shabbat morning in synagogue
Havdalah
Yamim Nora'im (High Holidays)
Shalosh Regalim (the Pilgrimage holidays: Sukkot, Pesach, and Shavuot)
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When a Festival begins on a Saturday night, a special Havdalah blessing is made after Kiddush but before Shehecheyanu, blessing God as "Hamavdil bein kodesh l'kodesh," Who distinguishes between [one] holy time and [another] holy time.
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Las Tiyas is a Sefardi song composed by Flory Jagoda, in which "las tiyas"—the aunties—of a community invite the children over for each of three home holidays: "Nochi di Chanukah" (nights of Chanukah), "Nochi di Haggadah" (nights of the Haggadah, for Pesach) and "a kumer in la sukkah" (to eat in the sukkah, for Sukkot).
This is the melody for Adon Olam that we use during the Shalosh Regalim, as reported by Avrohom Baer (German Jewish ethnomusicologist). It can also be used for Yigdal.
Pesach (Passover)
The 15 "signposts of the seder," in one easy melody (from the Kolkata Jewish community, as reported by Rahel Musleah).
When the first night of Pesach is also a Friday evening, we add special words in the festival Kiddush; this recording includes them.
When the first night of Pesach is also a Friday evening, we add special words in the festival Kiddush; this recording includes them.
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Mah nishtanah: what's different about tonight's seder meal? The question has four answers. Here, we have both the traditional Ashkenazi (Eastern European) melody.
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Here's Mah Nishtanah in the original lernen steiger (melody used for learning passages of Talmud).
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In every generation, "B'chol dor vador," we're commanded to feel as if we ourselves have been freed from the narrows of Mitzrayim and brought into the expansiveness of freedom. We get there by telling the story, in whatever way is most meaningful to us. "Little Moses" is a homegrown American retelling of the Jewish Exodus.
Dayeinu: it would have been enough had God only done one of the many wondrous things that brought us out of Egypt, to Sinai, and on to Canaan! The familiar melody is a staple of most seders. Eliana Light wrote a beautiful new tune in 2017 and with her permission, I offer it here.
On Pesach we look for the prophets Elijah, whose coming will herald the age of freedom, and Miriam, whose well of water accompanied the Jews through the desert and whose song celebrated their liberation. This arrangment of "Eliyahu HaNavi/Miryam HaN'vi'ah" combines the traditional verse for Elijah with a verse for Miriam by Rabbis Leila Gal Berner and Arthur Waskow. "Ani Ma'amin" insists on faith in a Messiah who is a long time coming; this melody came out of the dark of the Sho'ah, the Holocaust.
End of the Seder: counting songs and comic songs
Quién Supiénse is a Ladino song (from the Jews of the Iberian Peninsula) for the end of the Pesach seder. Like Echad Mi Yodeia, it counts up to thirteen with important numbers in Judaism.
Chanukah
Blessings for the candles, the miracle of the holiday, and (for the first night) the Shehecheyanu
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Banu Choshech L'gareish is an old Chanukah melody: "We've come to banish the darkness, light and fire in our hands. Each one of us is a small light, but together we make a strong light. Flee, darkness!"
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"Ocho Kandelikas" is a Chanukah counting song in Ladino, the language of the Sefardi Jews: count up to "eight candles for me!" in this charming song by Flory Jagoda.
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