Jewish Music

Selihot are prayers of supplication in preparation for the "Days of Awe" in which Jews ask for God's forgiveness and promise change. Here we have gathered some of these prayers from Ashkenazi, Sephardi and Oriental traditions.

A beautiful rendition of the Jewish hymn, “Our Father our King” was sent by a member of the Jerusalem kehilla.

Hannuka and Christmas fall at almost the same time. There are other common elements too.

Yom Kippur (the Day of Artonement) is a most solemn day of prayer and fasting. We wish all our friends “Gmar hatimah tova” (that they may be sealed in the Book of Life). As a moment of prayer for Yom Kippur, we present here some Yom Kippur prayers and music.

The Feast of Shavuot (Weeks) among the Jewish people marks seven weeks after Passover, the Feast of the First Fruits and the Feast of the Giving of the Torah.

We have gathered a small collection of video clips to help us enter the spirit of the holiday.

A friend sent us this magnificent video clip of little Sheli singing Psalm 121.

We publish here a series of links of artists performing Psalm 92 – a song for the Sabbath day.

Benny, our seminarian, sent us this song written by Asaf Newe Shalom, based on the words of Rabbi Hillel Zeitlin.

Israeli jazz musician has a beautiful rendition of the traditional Shabbat hymn ‘Peace to you, angels of peace”.

Many are praying the words of Psalm 121 as we continue to pass through days of darkness and ask: "From where will our help come?"

An Italian friend sent us a musical clip of the "Jewish Cantata" (Canticum Hebraicum), accompanied by her beautiful photos of Venice.

Klezmer, a word derived from the Hebrew "klai zemer" (musical instruments), refers to a musical tradition that developed in Eastern Europe. Here we have collected a selection of Klezmer melodies.

Salomone Rossi (1570 - 1630) was Jewish Italian Rennaissance composer. He was a court musician in Mantua who also wrote Jewish liturgical music that broke with the tradition of Jewish cantorial music. Tatiana from the community in Haifa has proposed that the site make known the music of this composer, which represents another fascinating encounter of the Jewish and Christian traditions.

A collection of Psalms in Hebrew with the Hebrew in Hebrew letters and in transliteration. The music is the attempt by Suzanne Haïk Vantoura, a French Jewish composer, to reconstitute an original Biblical music.

A collection of different Psalms and Biblical passages sung in Hebrew.

"Fiddler on the Roof" was a 1971 Hollywood musical that immortalized Jewish life in the Eastern European schtetl (little town). It was based on the character of Tevye, created by the great Yiddish writer Shalom Aleichem.

Shabbat singing is a long tradition among the Jewish people. In synagogue, the shabbat is welcomed as a bride and a queen. At home, around the Shabbat table, family and friends sing songs of praise. We have gathered a small collection of Shabbat songs.

The Moscow Male Jewish Choir - "Hassidic Cappella" was formed in 1989 in order to perform and popularize Jewish vocal music - sacred and profane. We have collected here a number of outstanding performances of synagogue cantorial music.