Friday, May 24, 2019

Debbie Friedman's Havdalah - Sung in Every Corner of the Jewish World


There's a rich lode of musical endings to Shabbat, and Havdalah ceremonies around the world reflect the traditional and local musical tastes of each location. But one version, with music by Debbie Friedman, has managed to penetrate every corner of the Jewish world.

Here's a video to save for tomorrow night at the conclusion of Shabbat. Playing it after dark will give us a reminder of the sweet taste of Shabbat and energize us to face the challenges of the coming week.

In this video compilation, watch Hasidic Jews, Reform rabbis, Black African Jews, Conservative youth, Haredim, Modern Orthodox Jews, Messianic (Christian) "Jews," Marines, Chabadniks, German descendants of Nazis, West Bank yeshiva boys, women cantors, modern Orthodox teens, Jews from the former Soviet Union, and Debbie Friedman herself sing this classic tune that marks the end of Shabbat.

Shabbat shalom! 

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THEPLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO. 



4 comments:

  1. Love it. So touching and moving. Shabbat Shalom to everyone.

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    1. Thanks, Aviva! As I made it (for a Limmud session about Debbie and Shlomo Carlebach) I realized that her Havdalah is hardly different than the "official" Maoz Tzur and Shalom Aleichem. There are lots of ways to sing either one, but there's also a default version that people consider normative and that they're avoiding when they do something else. The amazing part is that THIS one (compared to other standard tunes) is no more than a quarter-century old!

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    2. Here's my Shlomo Carlebach "Am Yisrael Chai" round-up, in which I did the same thing, for those who want to see it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bx4Vs4fLTs&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0urr8UoD-ovgV72WYmkSzSSGY5z2-rDT7-TRkPxW7l7foWOq-wmg3kV1M

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  2. I've had positive responses over the weekend, so I decided to post the improved version I made for Limmud Mallorca. There are more clips, better editing, and the last third where Debbie sings it herself is much more interesting to watch.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMW832l0ZLo&feature=youtu.be

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