Welcoming Shabbat with Yedid Nefesh - as Sung in the Israeli City of Tzfat (Safed)

Yedid Nefesh (Friend of the Soul) is a piyyut (poem) usually sung on Friday night just before the Kabbalat Shabbat (Welcoming Shabbat) service begins.

According to Wikipedia, this beautiful poem is commonly attributed to the sixteenth century kabbalist, Rabbi Elazar ben Moshe Azikri (1533-1600), who first published it in Sefer Charedim (published in Venice 1601). Azikri's philosophy centered around the intense love one must feel for God, a theme that is evident in this piyyut. The first letters of each of the four verses make up the four letter name of God, known in English as the tetragrammaton.

This version of Yedid Nefesh was sung two weeks ago by a group of Chasidim at the grave of Rabbi Elazar Azikri in the Israeli city of Tzfat (Safed).

Shabbat shalom! 

Welcoming Shabbat with Adon Olam by the Yearot Ensemble at Jerusalem's Oud Festival

This year’s annual Jerusalem International Oud Festival took place last week, and included well-known musical guests Ehud Banai, Shalom Hanoch, Ravid Kahalani, Dudu Tassa — and Yehuda Poliker performing with a 12-piece band for the final show.

Among the dozens of musicians performing at the festival were the Bustan Avraham band of Arab and Jewish musicians, reunited since 2012 and led by three of the founders, Zohar Fresco, Taiseer Elias, and Am Milstein, now with Haggai Cohen-Milo.

Also appearing at the festival was the Yearot Ensemble. Yearot weaves Jewish sacred poetry (piyutim) with traditional Balkan and Middle Eastern melodies, alongside original compositions inspired by regional folk traditions.

As we welcome another Shabbat, let's listen to a new version of Adon Olam, to which the Yearot Ensemble added a verse from Shir HaShirim, the Song of Songs.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

Welcoming Shabbat with Lecha Dodi Sung to Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah in Roswell, Georgia

Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah has been used as the musical basis for many liturgical poems that are sung throughout the Jewish year. We've posted the song many times in many venues around the world.

Today we have another version of Lecha Dodi, one of the key musical poems in the Kabbalat Shabbat service on Friday night sung to the same tune. This version was performed by Student Cantor Kyra Goldman at Temple Kehillat Chaim, a diverse Reform congregation in Roswell, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

Welcoming Shabbat with Yigdal by Sephardi Cantor Daniel Halfon

Tonight we welcome Shabbat with the singing of Yigdal by Emeritus Hazzan Daniel Halfon of the Yad Harav Nissim synagogue in Jerusalem and a leading authority of the cantorial style of the western Sephardim. 

A classically trained baritone, Halfon was born in England and grew up in London's ancient Spanish and Portuguese community under the tutelage of Rabbi Dr Abraham Levy z"l. 

He studied Hazzanut with four of the outstanding cantors of the Western Sephardi tradition: Eliezer Abinun z"l, Abraham Beniso z"l, Abraham Lopes Cardozo z"l and Halfon Benarroch z"l. As a young man he received the call from Congregation Shearith Israel in New York to serve as Hazzan, and over the past 30 years he has been invited to sing in Sephardi synagogues across the world. 

In 2006 he was appointed by the President of the State of Israel as Hazzan of the Presidential Synagogue. Daniel studied vocal production with Neil Semer and Kenneth Newbern in New York, and in Jerusalem with Jay Shir.

This spirited melody for Yigdal, which bears a striking, but probably wholly coincidental, resemblance to the Scottish folk song Coming Through The Rye, is a comparative late comer to the London repertoire. In all likelihood it was brought to Bevis Marks from the Netherlands by Hazzan Joseph Gomes de Mesquita (1878-1958). Although much loved, it is sung only occasionally on Shabbatot and Mo’adim. In the Portuguese community of Amsterdam, by contrast, this tune is the standard Erev Shabbat melody. In addition it provides an endearing setting for the table song Yah Ribon. 

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom! 

Welcoming Shabbat with Ana B'Koach by Jacob's Ladder Bluegrass Band

This week we welcome Shabbat with Ana b'Koach, a liturgical poem from the Kabbalat Shabbat service that appears in the siddur just before Lecha Dodi. It's a Kabbalistic prayer composed by Rav Nehunia Ben Hakannah.

Known as the 42-letter Name of God, Ana b'Koach is a unique formula built of 42 letters written in seven sentences of six words each. Each of the seven sentences correspond to the seven days of the week, seven specific angels, and to a particular heavenly body. The letters that make up Ana beKo'ach are encoded within the first 42 letters of the book of Genesis.

The kabbalists explain that this combination of letters takes us back to the time of Creation, and each time we meditate on a particular sequence, we return to the original uncorrupted energy that built the world. By performing the Ana beKo'ach meditation, we enrich our lives with unadulterated spiritual light and positive energy.

This version of Ana b'Koach is performed by Jacob's Ladder, a Jewish Bluegrass band that brings a warm, welcoming, and uplifting musical experience to the Kabbalat Shabbat service. Formerly known as Kol Kahol, Jacob's Ladder explores different styles, themes, grooves, and musical modes in this revised and updated version of the Kabbalistic Psalm. 

The melody- Bury Me Beneath The Willow- comes from the old American folk traditions, with one of the first recordings ever made by the widely renowned and esteemed Carter Family. The band purposefully decided to explore West African grooves, clawhammer banjo styles, and group vocals as an homage to the rich traditions of West African music as a foundational pillar of American Music.

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 a Bluegrass Version of Adon Olam by Jacob's Ladder

In recent weeks we welcomed Shabbat with bluegrass versions of Lecha Dodi, Shalom Aleichem, and Yedid Nefesh by David Sasso and the Boston-based Jacob's Ladder bluegrass group. The popularity of those selections encouraged us to follow up this Shabbat with their version of Adon Olam, another song that we sing on Shabbat.

David Sasso has composed a number of works on Jewish themes. Beyond chamber works from his college years, David has recently composed a choral setting of modern poetry on biblical themes and two setting for soprano and piano of Yiddish poems, including his own Yiddish translation of Wordsworth’s “Daffodils.” 

In 2023, David traveled to the island of St. Thomas to participate in a collaboration with local musician and fellow Interlochen Arts Camp alum Gylchris Sprauve, celebrating the many musical heritages of the US Virgin Islands, including David’s own personal ancestry in St. Thomas and his heritage of Sephardic Jewish music. 

Also in 2023, David teamed up with Boston-based Jewish bluegrass group, Jacob’s Ladder, to record selections from his bluegrass setting of the traditional Friday night Shabbat liturgy, Sasson v’Simcha - Joy and Delight. This service was dedicated to David’s parents, Rabbis Dennis and Sandy Sasso, and premiered in May 2023 at the retirement celebration of Rabbi Dennis Sasso at Congregation Beth-El Zedeck in Indianapolis.

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 'Yedid Nefesh" by Leah Shoshanah in Mexico's Yucatan Jungle

Tonight we're welcoming another Shabbat with a performance by Leah Shoshanah, a Chicago-based singer, songwriter & Jewish musician whose soulful, original music deftly navigates the folk, funk, rock and jazz genres.

Shoshanah's original music takes on a life of its own and has inspired audiences to sit spellbound, sing together, laugh, cry and dance.

Shoshanah has played on historic stages in Chicago, like the Old Town School of Folk Music, PianoForte, Martyrs’ and the Green Mill. She has played to audiences of thousands on tour in Germany, put on cabaret-style solo acts in underground neighborhood theaters, led musical meditations, and helped individuals and communities move through loss and celebrate life with song. 

In this video she sings Yedid Nefesh, a Piyyut (a Jewish liturgical poem), sung as part of the Kabbalat Shabbat service on Friday evenings. It was filmed by Robin Manesky in the Yucatan Jungle, Mexico. The structure behind her is a Temescal (sweat lodge). Translation: Lover of my soul, merciful God, bring​ your servant close to Your will. Your servant will run like a gazelle, to prostrate​ before Your glory. For Your companion​ship is purer than any fine taste or flavor.

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 

Welcoming Shabbat with "Anim Zemirot" Sung by Yonina

We've been posting versions of Hebrew liturgical and popular songs by Yonina (Yoni and Nina Tokayer, a married musical duo who live in the small town of Pardes Chana, Israel.) They have been uploading home videos to Facebook and YouTube and reaching millions. 

They have both been singing and writing since they can remember, and have been making music together ever since they met. The name Yonina is a combination of both their first names, Yoni and Nina. 

Here they are singing the first verses of Anim Zemirot, a liturgical poem that is sung toward the end of the Musaf service in most congregations on Shabbat. The melody is a Chabad nigun, and Yonina recorded this version in honor of  Yat Kislev, the 19th day of Kislev, a Chabad holiday celebrated as the Rosh Hashanah of Chassidism. It was on this date, in the year 1798, that the founder of Chabad Chassidism, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (1745–1812), was freed from his imprisonment in czarist Russia.

Here are the lyrics, in Hebrew and English. 

אַנְעִים זְמִירוֹת וְשִׁירִים אֶאֱרוֹג, כִּי אֵלֶֽיךָ נַפְשִׁי תַעֲרוֹג.
נַפְשִׁי חָמְדָה בְּצֵל יָדֶֽךָ, לָדַֽעַת כָּל רָז סוֹדֶֽךָ   I will chant hymns and weave songs, for my soul pants after thee. My soul longs to be in the shadow of thy hand, to gain the knowledge of every secret of thy mysteries.   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 Shalom Aleichem by Leah Shoshanah

This week we welcome Shabbat with an original adaptation of Shalom Aleichem by Leah Shoshanah, a version that she wrote and recorded in a cabin in the woods of Wisconsin. This very intimate version of Shalom Aleichem welcomes in the angels to create sacred space and time. 

Leah Shoshanah is a Chicago-based singer, songwriter & Jewish musician whose soulful, original music deftly navigates the folk, funk, rock and jazz genres. Shoshanah’s original music takes on a life of its own and has inspired audiences to sit spellbound, sing together, laugh, cry and dance.

Shoshanah has played on historic stages in Chicago, like the Old Town School of Folk Music, PianoForte, Martyrs’ and the Green Mill. She has played to audiences of thousands on tour in Germany, put on cabaret-style solo acts in underground neighborhood theaters, led musical meditations, and helped individuals and communities move through loss and celebrate life. 

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 Ana B'Cho'ach

This week we welcome Shabbat with Ana b'Cho'ach, a liturgical poem from the Kabbalat Shabbat service that appears in the siddur just before Lecha Dodi. It's a Kabbalistic prayer composed by Rav Nehunia Ben Hakannah.

Known as the 42-letter Name of God, Ana b'Cho'ach is a unique formula built of 42 letters written in seven sentences of six words each. Each of the seven sentences correspond to the seven days of the week, seven specific angels, and to a particular heavenly body. The letters that make up Ana b'Cho'ach are encoded within the first 42 letters of the book of Genesis.

The kabbalists explain that this combination of letters takes us back to the time of Creation, and each time we meditate on a particular sequence, we return to the original uncorrupted energy that built the world. By performing the Ana b'Cho'ach meditation, we enrich our lives with unadulterated spiritual Light and positive energy.

The Hebrew text and translation appear below 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.

   

 

yyyy

ANA B'CHO'ACH We, we beg Hashem with the strength and greatness of thy right arm, untangle our knotted fate. Accept your people's song, elevate, elevate and purify us We beg Hashem with the strength and greatness of thy right arm, untangle our knotted fate. Accept your people's song, elevate and purify us Please, heroic one, those who pursue your uniqueness guard them as the pupil of an eye. Bless them, purify them, pity them May your righteousness always reward them. Powerful and Holy One Powerful and Holy One, in goodness lead your flock. Unique and proud one, to your people turn, who remember your holiness. Accept our cries, and hear our screams, oh knower of mysteries. (Blessed is the name of his noble kingdom forever and ever.)
 

Welcoming Shabbat with Lecha Dodi at the Port of Tel Aviv

Beit Tefilah Israeli (BTI) is a fast-growing community in Tel Aviv that is renewing and revitalizing the notion of prayer. Services at BTI combine live music, modern poetry and literature with the traditional prayer book. 

In recent years BTI became famous for its Summer Kabbalat Shabbat service at the Tel Aviv port, which attracts up to 800 worshippers each week. This phenomenon—attracting many secular Israelis who once felt marginalized by the Jewish community—is now being replicated in Jerusalem and throughout Israel. 

Today we welcome Shabbat with the BTI version of Lecha Dodi, a liturgical poem from the Kabbalat Shabbat service, recorded last week in Tel Aviv.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  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 Yedid Nefesh by the Tandu Musical Group

One of our favorite singing groups has been The Fountainheads, an ensemble of young Israeli dancers, singers, actors and artists, all graduates and students of the Ein Prat Academy for Leadership, who have have joined forces to create new Jewish artistic content for today's Jewish World. 

 

Since 2011, we have posted 12 of their videos to great acclaim from Jewish Humor Central readers. But time passes, and groups drift apart. But the four seasoned original members of The Fountainheads stayed together in friendship, forming a new group called Tandu, performing Israeli classics and new compositions in different styles including folk, soul, and jazz.

 

Based in Jerusalem, Tandu is bringing back the soul to the music by collaborating between different styles from ethnic to classics, and to pop too.

 

Today we welcome another Shabbat with Tandu's version of Yedid Nefesh. 

 

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 Yedid Nefesh by Rabbi Josh Warshawsky

This week we welcome Shabbat with a new version of Yedid Nefesh by Rabbi Josh Warshawsky.  

Rabbi Josh Warshawsky is a nationally touring Jewish musician, songleader, and composer. Originally from Chicago, Josh has shared his original melodies with over 100 Jewish communities throughout the US, Canada, the UK, and Israel. He has released four albums of Jewish music with a fifth on the way in 2022, and he has been featured on six Jewish music anthology publications in the last six years.

Yedid Nefesh is a love poem. It is the opening of the Friday night service (Kabbalat Shabbat), where we welcome the Shabbat Queen into our homes, communities, and into our very souls. The melody itself is intended to invoke this feeling of love and yearning. 

The way the melody works is the niggun (wordless melody) first, and then the verse melody is for the first two lines of each stanza. The niggun line comes back in with the words of the last line of each stanza, and then continues as a niggun in between verses. 

The last verse has a sense of urgency to it… the last line, “Maher ahuv, ki va moed,” means, “hurry, my love! The time has come!” and it leads us into the niggun (melody) again, with renewed strength. 

Lyrics יְדִיד נֶֽפֶשׁ, אָב הָרַחְמָן, מְשֹׁךְ עַבְדָּךְ אֶל־רְצוֹנָךְ, אֶל־רְצוֹנָךְ יָרוּץ עַבְדָּךְ כְּמוֹ אַיָּל, יִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה אֶל מוּל הֲדָרָךְ, מוּל הֲדָרָךְ, יֶעֱרַב־לוֹ יְדִידוּתָךְ מִנֹּֽפֶת צוּף וְכָל־טָֽעַם. הָדוּר, נָאֶה, זִיו הָעוֹלָם, נַפְשִׁי חוֹלַת אַהֲבָתָךְ, אַהֲבָתָךְ אָנָּא, אֵל, נָא, רְפָא־נָא לָהּ בְּהַרְאוֹת לָהּ נֹֽעַם זִיוָךְ, נֹֽעַם זִיוָךְ, אָז תִּתְחַזֵּק וְתִתְרַפֵּא, וְהָיְתָה לָךְ שִׁפְחַת עוֹלָם. וָתִיק, יֶהֱמוּ רַחֲמֶֽיךָ, וְחוּס־נָא עַל־בֵּן אוֹהֲבָךְ, עַל־בֵּן אוֹהֲבָךְ, כִּי זֶה כַּמָּה נִכְסֹף נִכְסַף לִרְאוֹת בְּתִפְאֶֽרֶת עֻזָּךְ, תִפְאֶֽרֶת עֻזָּךְ אָנָּא, אֵלִי, מַחְמַד לִבִּי, חֽוּשָׁה־נָּא וְאַל תִּתְעַלָּם. הִגָּלֶה־נָא וּפְרֹשׂ, חָבִיב, עָלַי אֶת־סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמָךְ, סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמָךְ, תָּאִיר אֶֽרֶץ מִכְּבוֹדָךְ, נָגִֽילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בָּךְ, וְנִשְׂמְחָה בָּךְ. מַהֵר, אָהוּב, כִּי בָא מוֹעֵד, וְחָנֵּֽנִי כִּימֵי עוֹלָם. 

Yedid nefesh, Av harachaman, meshoch avdach el Retzonach. Yarutz avdach kemo ayal, Yishtachave mul hadarach. Ye’erav lo yedidutach, minofet tsuf vechol ta’am. 

Hadoor naeh ziv haolam, nafshi cholat ahavatach. Anah El nah refah nah lah, B’harot lah noam zivach, Az titchazek v’titrapeh, v’hay’tah lah shifchat olam. 

Vatik yehemoo rachamecha v’chus na al ben ohavach. ki zeh kamah nichsof nichsaf, lir’ot betiferet oozach. Anah Eyli, machmad leebee, chooshah nah v’al titalam. 

Higaleh nah uf’ros chaviv alai, et sukkat shelomach. Tair eretz mikevodach, nagilah v’nismechah bach. Maher ahoov, ki va moed, v’choneni kimei olam.

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 Lecha Dodi Modzitz Medley by Colin Schachat and Avreimi Roth

Since we started sharing various Shabbat melodies in our Friday posts, we've included 43 versions of Lecha Dodi, the central liturgical poem in the Kabbalat Shabbat service. 

 

While all versions are worthy of emulating, so far none has been as ebullient and joyful as the one we're sharing today.It's a medley of Modzitz melodies for Lecha Dodi sung by with orchestra and choir arranged and conducted by Maestro Ofir Sobol from Colin Schachat's album The Cantorial Collection.

South African born Colin Schachat has established himself internationally both as a renowned baritone and cantor. He performs a wide range of popular repertoire including Broadway, Yiddish, Opera, Chassidic, Israeli, Italian and Spanish songs.

 

Avremi Roth, who is often associated with his deep and powerful voice, has recently changed his musical style and released a number of recent pop hits that have been a resounding success on radio stations and playlists. “I would not say that I have really changed my style,” Avremi Roth points out. “I just make the necessary adjustments to the current musical style and put out songs that will also suit the current era. But the authentic cantorial cantata and music are still ingrained in my soul forever.”

 

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 Shalom Aleichem by the Navarrete Sefardi Project

Music fusion is probably the best description of the artists who jointly created the Navarrete Sefardi project: Magda Navarrete and Grzech Piotrowski

The melodies of the ancient world intersect in a fascinating way. This version of Shalom Aleichem has flamenco influences. 

Flamenco is said to have originated when the Jewish melodies of people expelled from Spain grew out with Arabic influences. This Shalom Aleichem was performed in Warsaw in 2020 by Magda and her quintet: Kalixt Cajon, Marek Fedor, Maciek Szczycinski, Wojtek Braszak, and Mateusz Pliniewicz.

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 Yedid Nefesh Sung by Meir Barchichat

Yedid Nefesh is a piyyut (poem) usually sung on Friday night just before the Kabbalat Shabbat (Welcoming Shabbat) service begins.
 
According to Wikipedia, this beautiful poem is commonly attributed to the sixteenth century kabbalist, Rabbi Elazar ben Moshe Azikri (1533-1600), who first published it in Sefer Charedim (published in Venice 1601), but Azikri did not claim authorship of it and there have been other suggested authors (e.g. Judah Halevi, or Israel Nagara).
  
The first letters of each of the four verses make up the four letter name of God, known in English as the tetragrammaton.

In today's video, Yedid Nefesh is sung by Rabbi Meir Barchichat. Rabbi Barchichat is the founder of Netiv Meir, whose primary activity is organizing Bar Mitzvah celebrations for underprivileged children in Israel. 

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 Yedid Nefesh by Beit Tefilah Israeli

Beit Tefilah Israeli (BTI) is a fast-growing community in Tel Aviv that is renewing and revitalizing the notion of prayer. Services at BTI combine live music, modern poetry and literature with the traditional prayer book. 

In recent years BTI became famous for its Summer Kabbalat Shabbat service at the Tel Aviv port, which attracts up to 800 worshippers each week. This phenomenon—attracting many secular Israelis who once felt marginalized by the Jewish community—is now being replicated in Jerusalem and throughout Israel. 

Today we welcome Shabbat with the BTI version of Yedid Nefesh, a liturgical poem at the beginning of the Kabbalat Shabbat service.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  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 Oseh Shalom by the Ramatayim Men's Choir

Late in 1995, four enthusiasts gathered in the Ramot suburb of Jerusalem, to sing choral music they recalled from synagogue services in their youth. 

 

Since then the choir has grown to 40 choristers, native Israelis and Olim from 4 continents who share a love of the great tradition of Jewish liturgical music and of singing together.

 

The choir appears regularly at concert halls and synagogues throughout Israel. Their list of approximately 250 performances includes appearances alongside some of the finest cantors in the world as well as artists in different genres. They have appeared in concert with the Israel Symphonette Orchestra on national television and radio and have also performed at the residence of the President of Israel.

The choir's repertoire consists mainly of Jewish liturgical music and includes Chassidic and Israeli songs, pop, opera and folk music. All activities are performed on a voluntary basis. They perform regularly in support of various Israeli and Jewish charitable and social causes. A distinctive feature of the choir's activity is their active collaboration with ensembles of the same genre, inaugurating and hosting joint concerts in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

The choir's name derives from Ramatayim-Tzofim, in the hill country of Ephraim, birthplace of Samuel the Prophet, mentioned in the Book of Samuel 1 (1:1) and associated with the suburb Ramot, Jerusalem.

 

In this video they sing Oseh Shalom, the closing sentence of the Kaddish and the Amidah. The choir is conducted by director Richard Shavei-Tzion. This performance was at the Keren Malki 7th Annual Concert at The Jerusalem Performing Arts Festival in the Jerusalem Theatre in 2018.

 

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 a Lecha Dodi Mashup by 15 Boston Area Cantors

JArts, in collaboration with MASSCreative, the Massachusetts statewide advocacy group for the cultural sector, created Arts Matter Shabbat, now known as Creativity Connects Shabbat – an annual day to collectively advocate for the arts.

Last November, 15 cantors from the Boston area joined in a virtual choir to sing five versions of Lecha Dodi, the traditional song from the Kabbalat Shabbat Friday evening service -- Ashkenazic, Sephardic, Yemenite, Contemporary, and Hasidic.

Here is the mashup of Lecha Dodi, featuring the Boston area cantors, as a part of the Creativity Connects Shabbat production. 

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 Lecha Dodi by Enrico Fink and the Multietnica Orchestra of Arezzo, Tuscany

On Fridays we try to share new interpretations of traditional parts of the Kabbalat Shabbat evening service. So far we have posted 34 versions of Lecha Dodi, a central part of the service.

 

Today we're posting a most unusual version that just appeared on YouTube yesterday. It's a performance of Lecha Dodi by the ten members of the Multietnica Orchestra of Arezzo, Tuscany. 

 

It features Enrico Fink, Alexian Santino Spinelli, the soloists of the Multietnica Orchestra in Arezzo and the Alexian Group playing a very diverse set of musical instruments.

 

Enrico Fink has been one of the major figures in the Jewish music and theatre scene in Italy, regularly touring Europe and the United States with different groups and projects, and maintaining an active schedule as a lecturer and educator. 

 

As an artist, Enrico has devoted himself to new interpretations of Jewish cultural tradition, finding a path between the “radical” and traditional, using both music and musical theatre as means of expression. In his performances Enrico plunges into the incredibly rich, varied and complex world of Italian hazanut (cantorial music) Italian Jewish folk songs, and local dialects. 

 

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.