Dear Congregation Beth Israel members and friends,
I’m excited about celebrating Shabbat on Friday nights at CBI again! And, I’m aware that we haven’t had regular Kabbalat Shabbat (“Receiving Shabbat” or “Welcoming Shabbat”) services in a few years, and that it would be nice to refresh everyone’s memory on some of the melodies we use.
Here are five of the melodies you’ll be hearing this coming Friday evening at the Kabbalat Shabbat service led by me and Rabbi David Markus:
Shalom Aleichem, the song which welcomes the angels of Shabbat:
(Melody: Shneyer; Recording: Jeff Klepper.)
Yedid Nefesh, the medieval love song to God (this recording is Hebrew only; we may sing some in English, too):
(Melody: Traditional; Recording: Danny Maseng)
We Are Loved, an English-language poem/song which we will use as our variation on Ahavat Olam:
(Melody and recording: Shir Yaakov)
Lach Amar Libi, “Seek My Face”, from Psalm 27, the special psalm for this month of the year (this recording is Hebrew-only; we will sing it in English, too):
(Melody and recording: Nava Tehila)
Kirtan Kaddish, a call-and-response setting of the kaddish:
(Melody and recording: Rabbi Andrew Hahn, “the Kirtan Rabbi“.)
Here is an online folder which contains the five mp3s – you are welcome to listen to them online or to save them to your own computer. And, of course, please support the artists by buying their music on iTunes or Amazon or via your favorite music-buying source!
I hope your Elul continues to be meaningful and sweet,
Rabbi Rachel
CBI: From the Rabbi 