Today is Tisha B'Av -- We Sing Eli Tzion on a Day of Mourning for the Holy Temples

Eli Tzion is the last piyut of the Ashkenazi collection of kinot and is customarily sung in a recitative style on Tisha B'Av by the entire community. In this kina, the poet turns to Zion, comparing her to a woman who has suffered both destructive and redemptive pain: the pain of a young woman who is widowed, and the pain of a mother bringing new life into the world.  

Taken as a whole, the poem is a mournful call to Zion to mourn her tragic destruction. Only in the final verses do we come to understand that this kina is also a call to G‑d to hear the cry of the Jewish people. 

In this video, Eli Tzion is sung by Cantor Ari Litvak, Hazzan of the Bet El Community in Mexico since 2003. He was trained mainly in his native Buenos Aires and has been a community musical director since he was 13 years old.

We wish you an easy and meaningful fast.

Welcoming Shabbat with Lecha Dodi by Hazzanim Ari Litvak and Norman Cohen Falah

The lyrics of the Lecha Dodi prayer correspond to a poem composed by the kabbalist Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz who lived in the mid-16th century and whose motivation was to express the sanctity of Shabbat.

This video was recorded in Chapultepec Forest, the main park in Mexico City by hazanim Ari Litvak and Norman Cohen Falah. Norman is the composer of the melody that is interpreted to the Argentine chacarera rhythm.

Cantor Norman Cohen Falah is a versatile and sensitive interpreter of Jewish music and an accomplished songwriter. Whether at services, weddings, or concerts, the sweet quality of his voice, coupled with his enthusiastic performance, brings to life the joy and spirit of the Jewish heritage, appealing to all audiences. 

Ari Litvak has been a hazzan of the Bet El Community in Mexico since 2003. He was trained mainly in his native Buenos Aires and has been a community musical director since he was 13 years old.

Enjoy, and 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 THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Welcoming Shabbat with Adon Olam by Cantor Ari Litvak and Comunidad Bet-El of Mexico City

Today we're welcoming Shabbat with a Mexican flavor. Adon Olam is sung by Cantor Ari Litvak of Comunidad Bet-El of Mexico City.

He is joined by Cantor Diego Rubinsztein and Ale Levi in a version of the classic Shabbat song that's new to us. The words in Hebrew and in transliteration appear at the bottom of the video.

Enjoy, and 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 THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.