A selection of Shabbat songs from Western Europe, traditional or not, performed by Adolphe Attia, Shalom Berlinski, Joseph Borin, Michel Heymann and many others
The Shabbat, the day of rest, is a very important event of Jewish life. And the songs that rhythm this particular day hold a major place, at the synagogue with the five services from Kabbalat shabbat to Motsei shabbat, as well as at home with the rituals of lighting the candles, the Friday night Kiddush (blessing of the wine), the Birkat hamazone (prayers at the end of a meal), or the Havdala (last Kiddush which closes Shabbat).It is also a custom to sing, during the four Shabbat meals, several religious poems called Zemirot (or Tish nigunim by the Chasidim).
The Shabbat allows thus to find our inner route by the means of our outer voice.
The following playlist features a selection of Shabbat songs, traditional or not, from Ashkenazic communities of France (written by Samuel Naumbourg, Jules Franck and Léon Algazi), of Germany (Louis Lewandowski) and Austria (Salomon Sulzer and Franz Schubert). Note that most of the songs of this playlist are accompanied by music instruments, which is not the case today in most of Jewish communities, except for reformed synagogues.
Read the article about Shabbat songs
