Welcoming Shabbat with V'Shamru by Zimriyah Chorale of San Diego's Beth Israel

This evening we welcome Shabbat with V'Shamru, part of the Friday night liturgy. It is sung by the Zimriyah Choir of Congregation Beth Israel of San Diego. 

Congregation Beth Israel, the historic center of Jewish life in San Diego, is an inclusive Reform congregation that offers a warm welcome and a nurturing home to all who seek a meaningful and enduring connection to Judaism.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

Welcoming Shabbat with V'Shamru at Stephen Wise Temple in Los Angeles

V'shamru is a verse from the Torah that emphasizes the importance of observing the Sabbath. The text of the blessing is taken from the Book of Exodus (Exodus 31:16-17) and is recited as follows: “V’shamru v’nai Yisrael et haShabbat, la’asot et haShabbat l’dorotam brit olam."

In English, this translates to: “The children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. Between Me and the children of Israel, it is a sign forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.”

Tonight we're welcoming Shabbat with a version of V'shamru sung by Danny Maseng, Cantor Emma Lutz, Dr. Tali Tadmor, the Stephen Wise Temple band, and vocal quartet. It was recorded at a Shabbat service in August 2023.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

Welcoming Shabbat with V'Shamru (Sephardic-Turkish Style) by Rabbi Jacob Agar of Beth Sholom in Elkins Park

Last year Cantor Jacob Agar, the cantor of Congregation Beth Sholom in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, sang V'Shamru to the tune of Uskudara, a traditional Sephardic Turkish melody. The synagogue, also known as the Frank Lloyd Wright Synagogue for its architect and designer, is a National Historic Landmark.

Cantor Agar received his cantorial investiture at the H.L Miller Cantorial School at Jewish Theological Seminary of New York. Previously he studied opera performance and linguistics at SUNY Purchase College. Following conservatory, he sang with several opera companies in New York and New Jersey, and has worked with a wide variety of conductors. 

Cantor Agar is also a composer and arranger and is inspired by a wide variety of music. He was inspired to become a cantor by his love for Judaism, Jewish music, and his interest in using music to uplift people and bring them closer to Judaism. His goal is to use music to elevate people spiritually and to help them find comfort and solace at synagogue. 

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom! 

Welcoming Shabbat with V'Shamru at Hamakom Synagogue in Los Angeles

Cantorial Soloist Jenni Asher leads the V'shamru prayer at the Zamru Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service at the Hamakom Synagogue in Los Angeles on March 1, 2024. 

Hamakom is a center of Jewish life that provides meaning and purpose for Jews of the West San Fernando & Conejo Valleys. It's a vibrant and dynamic Jewish community – a neighborhood – in which the synagogue is a sacred center, a communal home, and hub for its members and all others who wish to grow their Jewish identities, spirit, and communal connections.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

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Welcoming Shabbat with V'Shamru by the Teen T'filah Team at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan

Temple Israel was organized during the summer of 1941 in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. From its inception, the aim of the Temple has been to revive many of the symbols and traditions of Jewish heritage and establish them within a Reform setting.

It was the first Reform congregation in the Detroit area to introduce a cantor to the service, and to revive the tradition of Bar and Bat Mitzvah. It holds a daily morning minyan and regards wearing of a kippah as a matter of personal choice.

On November 3 Temple Israel's Teen T'filah Team led the congregation in the Kabbalat Shabbat service in singing V'shamru.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

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Welcoming Shabbat with Beth Reinstein Singing V'Shamru at New York's Central Synagogue

Beth Reinstein is a Cantorial Intern at New York City's Central Synagogue with a mission to craft community through music. Born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Beth’s first introduction to music came through joining Temple Beth Emeth’s youth choir. It was there that she discovered and experienced how music can bring a community together. Through Temple Beth Emeth’s music program, Beth fostered a love and passion for music that blossomed into her work. 

While pursuing her secular music career, Beth began to serve the greater Chicago area as a Cantorial soloist and song leader. Beth has served as a Cantorial soloist and song leader at Beth Emet the Free Synagogue, Temple Sholom, Anshe Emet Synagogue, Sukkat Shalom, and several other Chicago communities. She also performs with Jewish Rock Radio’s group “Chicago Sings” and had the opportunity to debut her own liturgical compositions at URJ’s Biennial in 2019. It was through her work as a Cantorial soloist that Beth realized her heart lay in Jewish music, and it was time to pursue the Cantorate.  

In this video, Beth sings V'Shamru, a traditional part of the Kabbalat Shabbat service.

Shabbat shalom!

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Welcoming Shabbat with V'Shamru Sung by Leah Shoshanah

This week we welcome Shabbat with an original adaptation of V'Shamru by Leah Shoshanah. The song is an integral part of the Kabbalat Shabbat service.

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!

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Welcoming Shabbat with V'Shamru at the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation

Originally named Nidche Yisroel (Scattered of Israel), the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation was founded in 1830, and for the first fifteen years of its existence, services were held in a small room above a local grocery in Baltimore. Rabbi Abraham Rice was the first ordained rabbi to serve in the United States and came to BHC in 1840. 

In 1845, the Congregation moved to Lloyd Street under the new name, Baltimore Hebrew Congregation. That building, the Lloyd Street Synagogue, the third-oldest synagogue building in the United States, is now preserved as part of the Jewish Museum of Maryland. 

In 1891, BHC moved to Madison Avenue, where the Jewish community had begun to settle. The Congregation moved to its final home on Park Heights Avenue, on the border of Baltimore City and Baltimore County, following the Second World War in 1951.

Today we welcome Shabbat with Cantor Ben Ellerin, Cantorial Intern Leslie Goldberg, and the BHC Synagogue Choir singing V'Shamru, part of the Kabbalat Shabbat service.

From Exodus 31:16-17

וְשָׁמְרוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּת לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּת לְדֹרֹתָם בְּרִית עוֹלָם׃ בֵּינִי וּבֵין בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹת הִוא לְעֹלָם כִּי־שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה אֶת־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שָׁבַת וַיִּנָּפַשׁ׃ 

V’shamru v'nei Yisrael et HaShabbat, laasot et HaShabbat l’dorotam b’rit olam. Beini u’vein b’nei Yisrael ot hi l’olam, ki sheishet yamim asah Adonai et hashamayim v’et haaretz, u’vayom hashvi-i shavat vayinafash. 

The people of Israel shall keep Shabbat, observing Shabbat throughout the ages as a covenant for all time. It is a sign for all time between Me and the people of Israel. For in six days Adonai made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day God ceased from work and was refreshed.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

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Welcoming Shabbat with V'Shamru by Temple Sinai of Rochester, New York

Every Friday we try to post a song from the Shabbat liturgy to greet the weekly day of rest. These songs generally include Shalom Aleichem, Lecha Dodi, and Adon Olam. 

Today's Shabbat song is V'Shamru, part of the Friday night and Shabbat morning services. It is taken from Exodus 31:16-17. Shabbat is created to give us rest and to restore the soul. Vayinafash is from the Hebrew word nefesh (soul). Shabbat is the promise that there will be a time of peace for all people. As God guards us, we guard Shabbat.

וְשָׁמְרוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת, לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת לְדֹרֹתָם בְּרִית עוֹלָם. בֵּינִי וּבֵן בְּנֵי יִשׂרָאֵל אוֹת הִיא לְעֹלָם. כִּי שֵֽׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה יהוה אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאֳרֶץ, וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שָׁבַת וַיִּנָּפַשׁ.

The children of Israel shall observe the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations as a covenant for all time. It is a sign forever between Me and people of Israel. For in six days the Eternal One made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day God ceased from work and rested.

In this video, V'Shamru is sung by members of Temple Sinai in Rochester, New York.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom.  

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Welcoming Shabbat with V'Shamru by Cantor Rosalie Will and the Ahavat Torah Band

Tonight we welcome another Shabbat, and this week we chose a rendition of V'Shamru, a key part of the Kabbalat Shabbat service. 

This version is sung by Cantor Rosalie Will and the Ahavat Torah Band at Temple Kol Emeth, a Southern Reform congregation in suburban Atlanta, Georgia.

Enjoy and Shabbat shalom!

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Welcoming Shabbat with V'Shamru by Cantor Shira Lissek of Temple Israel NC

Tonight we welcome another Shabbat with a selection from the Kabbalat Shabbat service, V'Shamru, sung by Cantor Shira Lissek of Temple Israel in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Cantor Lissek became Cantor of Temple Israel in July 2018 after previously serving as Associate Cantor of Park Avenue Synagogue in NYC since 2013. Born and raised in St. Louis, MO, she learned the art of being a Cantor from her father, Cantor Leon Lissek of Congregation B’nai Amoona. She is also the granddaughter of the late Rabbi Pinchas Chasin of Philadelphia and great-granddaughter Hazzan Hirsch L. Chazin of New Jersey.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

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Welcoming Shabbat with V'Shamru by Rick Recht at United Hebrew Congregation in St. Louis

Rick Recht is one of the top touring musicians in Jewish music playing over 150 dates each year in the US and abroad.

Rick has revolutionized and elevated the genre of Jewish rock music as a powerful and effective tool for developing Jewish pride and identity in youth and adults across the US. 

Rick is the national celebrity spokesman for the PJ Library and is the Executive Director of Songleader Boot Camp – a national songleader training immersion program held in various cities around the U.S.

The last 18 summers, Rick and his band played at literally hundreds of URJ, Ramah, JCC and private camps around the country.  Rick has been featured in concert and as scholar in residence at the NFTY, BBYO, and USY International conventions, the URJ Biennial, the American Conference of Cantors, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and Jewish communities across the US.   Rick has 13 top selling Jewish albums including his most recent release, Halleluyah.

Let's welcome this Shabbat with Rick singing V'Shamru with members of the United Hebrew Congregation of St. Louis.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

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Welcoming Shabbat with V'Shamru by the Pey Dalid Trio

Pey Dalid is a trio of brothers -- Mordechai, Shlomo and Pesach Walker -- who have bringing audiences an uplifting experience of musical styles, popular genres and “One World Music”.

 

Armed with catchy melodies and thought provoking lyrics, the brothers of Pey Dalid  have been performing across the world for the last 20 years, spreading the message of unity and peace through their sweet harmonies and lively music.

 

The brothers were influenced by a home filled with the classic standards of legends such as Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis. They learned of music’s power to bring cultural harmony at the knee of their father, a highly respected booking agent in the world of entertainment. As they grew as musicians, their love of hip hop, rock, reggae and the fiercely energetic mosh pits of their youth created an influential and inspirational Pey Dalid sound, which has been heard throughout the world.

 

Blessed with beautiful voices and the ability to uplift all those around them, the brothers have lead Shabbat and holiday services for communities throughout the globe.

The band strives to bring a revolution of positive change and awareness. Mordechai explains, “In Hebrew the letter, Pey represents the number 8, the spiritual and infinite, and Dalid represents the number 4, the physical and finite. When we bring the two together we fulfill the purpose of creation. Our music bridges the core of those dualities, connecting not only with our Jewish brothers and sisters but with the human family throughout the world.”

Today we're sharing Pey Dalid's interpretation of Shlomo Carlebach's V'Shamru, a key component of the Friday evening service.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

Welcoming Shabbat with V'Shamru by Cantors Danny Maseng and Renata Braun

Danny Maseng is a playwright, actor, singer, and composer. He recently retired as cantor and spiritual leader of Makom LA, a newish, Jewish, dynamic, post-denominational community, in Los Angeles.

This week we welcome Shabbat with Danny singing V'Shamru together with Cantor Renata Braun of Temple Sinai in Rochester, New York where Danny Maseng was a scholar and Artist-in-Residence earlier this year.

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 V'Shamru by Cantors of the Stephen Wise Temple of Los Angeles

Stephen Wise Temple is a large Reform Jewish congregation in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1964 by the late Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin, with 35 families, the congregation grew rapidly. At various times in its history it has been stated to be the largest, or one of the largest, Jewish congregations in the world.  

At one time it had a membership of about 3,000 families, six rabbis, two cantors and two cantorial interns, and four schools on three campuses. As of 1994 it was the second-largest synagogue in the United States.

As we get ready to observe another Shabbat, Cantor Emma Lutz and Cantorial Intern Josh Goldberg sing V'Shamru from the Kabbalat Shabbat Friday evening service. 

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 V'Shamru by Cantor Azi Schwartz of the Park Avenue Synagogue

Every Friday we try to post a song from the Shabbat liturgy to greet the weekly day of rest. These songs generally include Shalom Aleichem, Lecha Dodi, and Adon Olam. 

Today's Shabbat song is V'Shamru, part of the Friday night and Shabbat morning services. It is taken from Exodus 31:16-17. Shabbat is created to give us rest and to restore the soul. “Vayinafash” is from the Hebrew word “nefesh” (soul). Shabbat is the promise that there will be a time of peace for all people. As God guards us, we guard Shabbat.

וְשָׁמְרוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת, לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת לְדֹרֹתָם בְּרִית עוֹלָם. בֵּינִי וּבֵן בְּנֵי יִשׂרָאֵל אוֹת הִיא לְעֹלָם. כִּי שֵֽׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה יהוה אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאֳרֶץ, וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שָׁבַת וַיִּנָּפַשׁ.

The children of Israel shall observe the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations as a covenant for all time. It is a sign forever between Me and people of Israel. For in six days the Eternal One made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day God ceased from work and rested.

In this video, Azi Schwartz, cantor of the Conservative Park Avenue Synagogue in New York, leads the congregation in singing V'Shamru.

Shabbat shalom.  

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Welcoming Shabbat with a Beatles Version of V'Shamru at Beit T'shuvah in Los Angeles

Beit T'shuvah is a Los Angeles based synagogue community with a mission to guide individuals and families towards a path of living well, so that wrestling souls can recover from addiction and learn how to properly heal.

They also have a band, and in 2015 they recorded a Beatles Shabbat service with all the familiar songs in the Friday night liturgy sung to some of the most popular Beatles songs.

We previously posted their version of Lecha Dodi set to Let it Be. Here's another excerpt from the service with the shul band welcoming Shabbat with V'Shamru set to Hey Jude.
   
Beit T'shuvah is led by Rabbi Mark Borovitz, described on the synagogue website as "spiritual leader, author, Senior Rabbi, ex-con, recovering alcoholic, and overall anomaly."

Officially ordained in 2000 at the University of Judaism with a Master's in Rabbinic Literature, Rabbi Borovitz combined his knowledge of Torah and street smarts to shape his calling: helping recovering addicts find their way in the world. 

After being released from prison in 1988 he began his work at Beit T'Shuvah. Over the past twenty-eight years, he has co-created one of the most exceptional approaches to addiction treatment and criminal rehabilitation and reintegration in the world.

The lead singer in this video is Cantor Shira Fox, the daughter of two Los Angeles cantors -- Herschel Fox, the Yiddish stand-up comedian we profiled in 2011 and his wife Judy, the cantor in the Synagogue for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles (where Joseph Telushkin is the rabbi),
 
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.)