Yom Kippur Starts Tonight - Shulem Lemmer Sings "Avinu Malkeinu"

Shulem Lemmer is the most recent rising star of the Jewish musical tradition that has been intertwined in the life, faith, and culture of the Jewish people throughout their history. Whether it's prayers, psalms, or contemporary classics, this youthful Brooklyn tenor finds in music something rich and affirming, an endeavor that makes the soul soar and the spirit rise and speaks to the human condition. 

In fact, Shulem feels music aspires to go beyond current historical context to illuminate what he sees as the perfect dream: when the world is at peace. There are some voices that have to be heard – and Shulem’s is one of them.

As we get ready to attend Yom Kippur services tonight and tomorrow, whether in person or via Zoom or live streaming, let's listen to Shulem sing Avinu Malkeinu, a central prayer of the ten days of repentance which began on Rosh Hashanah and conclude on Yom Kippur. Both the words and the melody evoke deep emotion as the congregation connects with God as a parent and monarch.

Shulem will be performing live in concert at Anshei Emuna Congregation in Delray Beach, Florida on Tuesday night, January 23, 2004. We'll be there and if you're planning to be in South Florida in January, we'll see you there. 

We will be attending services today and tomorrow and Jewish Humor Central will be back on Tuesday. We wish you an easy and meaningful fast on Yom Kippur.

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.

Getting in the Mood for Yom Kippur with Avinu Malkeinu by Hazamir Choir

Avinu Malkeinu is one of the central themes of Yom Kippur, which Jews worldwide will be observing tonight and tomorrow.

We're getting in the mood for Yom Kippur by sharing a version of Avinu Malkeinu composed by Max Janowski, sung by Hazamir at their 2016 Gala Concert at Carnegie Hall. 

The choir was conducted by Hadas Sturman, Conductor of HaZamir Beit She'an and accompanied by Dr. Alan Mason, Conductor of HaZamir Miami. Soloists were Allison Abrams, HaZamir Manhattan, Juliana Lynch, HaZamir Baltimore, Yohji Daquio-Braude, HaZamir Providence, and Samuel Dylan Rosner, HaZamir Westchester. HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir is a program of the Zamir Choral Foundation, www.zamirchoralfoundation.org.

We'll be posting again on Friday. We wish you a G'mar Chatima Tova and a happy and healthy New Year.

Six-Year-Old Australian Kid Sings an Impassioned Avinu Malkeinu in Hebrew and English

Bibi, the six-year-old son of Nina Shapiro loves to sing, and his singing is going viral because of an impassioned version of Avinu Malkeinu that has been spreading on the Internet since it mysteriously landed on Twitter and Facebook last week.

As Philissa Cramer wrote last week in JTA News,

Exactly how the video got from a family text chain to thousands of Jewish viewers is unclear, but there’s no question that Bibi’s performance of a song he learned at his school is resonating with many on the eve of the High Holidays.

Others who amplified the video did know who Bibi was, even though he is not identified in it. They included people associated with Sinai Academy, the school in Cape Town, South Africa, that he attended before the family moved to Australia two years ago. Shapiro credited both that school and the one he attends in Perth, Carmel School, with developing her son’s love for Judaism.

Bibi is adopted — we adopted each other when he was a baby. He has been raised Jewish, and it’s all he knows. Halachically [according to Jewish law] he is a Jew. I’ve come to realize he has a Jewish neshama [soul] even though entering the world he was not born into a Jewish family.

Here are the English words he sings before launching into Hebrew:

I’m sorry for all I did wrong. 

I’m sorry for all I did wrong. 

I’ll try to be better forever and ever I’m sorry for all I did wrong. 

I’ll try, I’ll try to be the best that I can be. 

I’ll try, I’ll try to do what is right, and be the best I can be.

Enjoy!

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 Yom Kippur with Avinu Malkeinu by the Budapest Sabbathsong Klezmer Band

Yes, we know it's another Monday, and that usually means it's time for another Joke to Start the Week. But we're in the midst of a month of Jewish holidays that started with Rosh Hashanah and continues with Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.

So we're holding off with the weekly jokes until the Monday after the holidays, and instead bringing you content that's more appropriate for this month.

Yesterday we posted a beautiful rendition of Hava Nagila by the Budapest-based Sabbathsong Klezmer Band. Today we're posting their version of Avinu Malkeinu as we prepare for Yom Kippur.

Wishing you an easy and meaningful day of prayer and fasting.

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. 

Getting Ready for Yom Kippur with Avinu Malkeinu

Yom Kippur begins tonight with Kol Nidrei and ends tomorrow night with the singing of Avinu Malkeinu (Our Father, Our King.) The prayer is chanted at the end of the Neilah service before the last shofar blast of the High Holidays.

There are many versions of Avinu Malkeinu, but one of the most popular is the one composed by Max Janowski. Today we're sharing that version as sung a year ago in New York's Park Avenue Synagogue by cantors Azi Schwartz, Shira Lessek, and Rachel Brook. The words appear below the video.

We hope it puts you in the proper mood to experience a meaningful day of prayer and reflection. We'll be in synagogue all day tomorrow and back on Thursday with our usual Jewish Humor Central mix.

G'mar Chatimah Tovah!



Our father our king, hear our prayer
We have sinned before Thee
Have compassion upon us and upon our children
Help us bring an end to pestilence, war, and famine
Cause all hate and oppression to vanish from the earth
Inscribe us for blessing in the Book Of Life
Let the new year be a good year for us

Avinu malkeinu sh'ma kolenu
Avinu malkeinu chatanu l'fanecha
Avinu malkeinu chamol aleynu
V'al olaleynu v'tapenu

Avinu malkeinu
Kaleh dever v'cherev v'raav mealeynu
Avinu malkeinu kaleh chol tsar
Umastin mealeynu

Avinu malkeinu
Avinu malkeinu
Kotvenu b'sefer chayim tovim
Avinu malkeinu chadesh aleynu
Chadesh aleynu shanah tovah