LBC pays tribute to the memory of Debbie Friedman
It is with great sadness that we report on the death of American Jewish composer and soloist Debbie Friedman. Debbie emerged as a creative musical force in the late 60s invigorating Jewish music at the height of American folk music. Her influence spread from her work with children and young people to today’s liturgical usage in synagogues, schools, Jewish community gatherings and within the cantorial training programme at Hebrew Union College where she was a visiting Professor. Whether it is the nigun for Havdalah or her Mi sheberach prayer for healing or Lechi Lach, generations of Jews have been transformed and touched by her music and poetry. A life long Reform Jew, Debbie’s music crossed over denominations to inspire all Jews throughout the world. Uniquely transposing Hebrew and English into her liturgical compositions, she created an entirely new way of ‘singing to the Eternal a new song’ and enabling Jews to sing traditional liturgy with understanding and meaning.
It was under the auspices of CJE (now DJE) that Debbie first came to England with a memorable concert at Belsize Sq. Synagogue in 1989 and subsequent appearances in the 1990s at the Liberal Jewish Synagogue and the Sternberg Centre. Her final appearance will be remembered as the poignant and heartrending rendition of Lechi Lach at the gala concert at Limmud 2010 – “And she will be a blessing- Lechi Lach”
We mourn the loss of a creative genius, extraordinary poet and interpreter of Jewish tradition for a modern age and new generation. She was also a friend and companion on the difficult journeys of life for many of us offering healing and spiritual solace through her music, words and special presence. Debbie taught us that singing is not the sole domain of trained voices but simply an expression of the soul; a means to touch one’s own essence and that as Abraham Joshua Heschel said, ‘The meaning of prayer is to sing’. Debbie stands in that chain of tradition from the psalmists of ancient Israel to the guitarists of today to whom she would include Pete Seegar, Paul Simon and Bob Dylan. Lo Alecha Hamalacha Ligmor – Now we will have to continue to sing to God, to sing for ourselves and our healing for others, to sing for a better world and to sing for the visions and the dreams. Debbie will sing with the angels.
Her memory already is a blessing to Judaism and to the world.
Rabbi Dr Michael Shire
