Welcoming Shabbat with an Animated version of Mah Yedidut - A Traditional Song of Shabbat Zemirot

Mah Yedidut (How Beloved) is a traditional zemer celebrating the joy and peace that Shabbat brings to every Jewish home. Tonight we welcome Shabbat with this beautiful melody  brought to life through heartwarming puppet animation. 

 

Watch as a Jewish village prepares for the holiest day of the week. The fiddler plays, the families gather, and the sweet rest of Shabbat arrives.

 

This video was created by Torah Toons - Jewish stories for the next generation. 

 

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom! 

 

Welcoming Shabbat with Yah Ribon Olam by Kedmah

Kedmah is an ensemble of musicians and prayer leaders excavating the power and beauty of Mizrahi Jewish expression through ancient poetry and song. Today's video, Yah Ribon Olam, one of the zemirot for Shabbat, is on their debut album, Simu Lev.

Led by Rabbi Yosef Goldman and Yoni Avi Battat, Kedmah honors the artists’ Iraqi, Syrian, and Yemenite ancestry in conversation with their intersecting musical influences. Their interactive performances, workshops, and recordings allow listeners to experience the spiritual and emotional depth of Middle Eastern piyyut (liturgical poetry) and the ages-old tradition of Arab melodies that adorn them. Part educational initiative, part performance group, the social and pedagogical impact of this project is strengthened by a commitment to musical creativity, historical accuracy, spirituality, and public performance at the highest level.  

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

Welcoming Shabbat with D'ror Yikra by Robin Helzner and the Zemer Chai Chorus

Zemirot are table hymns sung during or immediately after Shabbat meals. These medieval songs represent a unique blend of the holy and the secular, the serious and the playful, and allow family and friends to enhance the Shabbat experience.

One of the most popular zemirot is D'ror Yikra.

דְּרוֹר יִקְרָא לְבֵן עִם בַּת, וְיִנְצָרְכֶם כְּמוֹ בָבַת
נְעִים שִׁמְכֶם וְלֹא יֻשְׁבַּת,
 שְׁבוּ וְנֽוּחוּ בְּיוֹם שַׁבָּת

‬

D'ror yikra l'ven im bat

V'yintsorchem k'mo vavat.

Na'im shimchem velo yushbat

Sh'vu v'nuchu b'yom Shabbat.

"Freedom shall He proclaim for His sons and daughters

and will keep you as the apple of His eye.

Pleasant is Your name and will not cease to be;

repose (and) rest on the Sabbath day."

Today's video features Robyn Helzner and the Zemer Chai Chorus performing Robyn's version of D'ror Yikra.

A leading interpreter of World Jewish Music, Robyn has appeared in concerts in Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and throughout North America. The moving story of her underground performances in the Soviet Union, which led to sold-out concerts in Moscow and St. Petersburg, was told on the Public Television program, Chanukah–A Celebration of Freedom. 

Robyn has released five recordings. Hearts Awaken, A Fire Burns, and Signs & Wonders, feature the Robyn Helzner Trio. Clap Your Hands and I Live in the City are beloved by children worldwide. Robyn officiated at the first bar mitzvah celebrated in Beijing, China and served as the Cantor for the United Jewish Congregation of Hong Kong. She currently serves as a cantor at Temple Sinai and leads the “Downtown Shabbat” service at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue in Washington, D.C. Robyn also leads Jewish Heritage Tours to China.

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.