The haunting words of Lecha Dodi [Come, My Beloved], which echo through synagogues worldwide every Friday evening, represent one of the most successful liturgical innovations in Jewish history. This ...

There is an unsolved mystery at the heart of one of the most popular Jewish songs in history. Every Friday evening, Jews around the world recite the poetic prayer “Lecha Dodi” to welcome the Sabbath.

It’s the weekly tonal shift that somehow still catches many synagogue-goers by surprise. I’m speaking of course of the tune-switch that the Friday night hazan pulls for the last few stanzas of “Lecha ...

Tonight at candle lighting time, Jews in Israel and around the world will go out to their gardens, porches, and windows to sing Lecha Dodi and Shalom Aleichem together. Also, all are called upon to ...

Here’s yet another version of Carly Rae Jepsen’s catchy song “Call Me Maybe” — this time Jewish style featuring “Lecha Dodi,” the prayer of Shabbat acceptance. Yes, making versions of “Call Me Maybe” ...

I’ve always had a deep appreciation for bluegrass. A form of Southern mountain music in overdrive, bluegrass coalesced in the late 1940s when Kentucky mandolinist and singer Bill Monroe, who had ...