Selichot

*Be easy / Take your time / You are coming home to yourself*

Here are a variety of songs and prayers related to themes of Elul and the High Holidays, this time of turning and returning and coming home. Some of them we'll sing together at various gatherings. You can also play them in the background and let them wash over you or sing along, whatever you need during this time of reflection and returning.

Coming home to ourselves - Days of Awe 5785 - Cleveland Jewish Collective

Yom Kippur Melodies 2019

Ashamnu

we are good.
we are flawed.
we are the breath of an imperfect god.

returning to self. returning to source.
god is change. god is growth. the process, in all it's beauty and all it's mess, is god.

collage art by Chani Nicholas

we are good we are flawed

Song/prayer/meditation to heal personal and societal grief. For ordinary grief, extraordinary grief, the unbearable kind and the unseen kind and the enduring kind, in service of exhales and letting go of what is ours and not ours, of compassion, lightness, & becoming who we are after and through it all.

Aly Halpert's Album

Loosen Loosen

lyrics: be easy, take your time, you are coming home to yourself, coming home to yourself. 
Based on a poem by Nayyirah Waheed

Be Easy

Live recording from September 21 2019 Selichot service + concert, Ascend at Night: A Selichot service of contemporary and ancient music

September 21 at 8:30pm
Homewood Friends Meeting Baltimore, MD
Co-sponsored by East Bank Havurah

Selichot opens the season that asks us to dig deep, crack our hearts open, and pour out our yearning. Combining traditional Selichot liturgy (Ya'ale, Avinu Malkeinu) with contemporary secular music (Fleetwood Mac, Leonard Cohen, Lake Street Dive), the service opens channels to the heart work the new year calls for. Expect opportunities for quiet reflection, full throated singing, performance, and grounding ritual.)

Musicians:
Megan Beller, Fiddle
Ever Hanna, Lead vocals
Ethan Hasiuk, Drums 
Joe Magar, Bass
Laurie Spector, Guitar

Featured vocals:
Lena Amick
Molly Amster
Miriam Avins
Charley Beller
Erin Kelly
Ilana Newman

Selichot 5779

Avinu Malkeinu

13 Attributes

Origin:
Words are based on a poem by Wendell Berry
Melody is by Plum Village
This is a recording from NSP's Yom Kippur Community Singing Session in 2019

Words:
And when I rise
Let me rise
Like a bird, joyfully
And when I fall,
Let me fall
Like a leaf, gracefully,
And without regret

Singing Team - YK Melodies

When I Rise

Origin:
Words are from Psalm 118
Melody is by Rabbi Micha’el Rosenberg
This is a recording from NSP's Yom Kippur Community Singing Session in 2019

Words:
Min hameitzar, karati ya
Anani vamerchav ya

Translation:
From the narrow place, I called out to G*d
Who answered me from a place of great expansiveness

Min Hameitzar

Origin:
Words are from Yom Kippur liturgy
This melody is from Sephardi s'lichot, we're not sure of the exact source - if you know, please comment!
This is a recording from NSP's Yom Kippur Community Singing Session in 2019

Words:
Aneinu Elohei Avraham, aneinu
Aneinu Poked Sarah, aneinu
Aneinu Va'fachad Yitzchak, aneinu
Aneinu Elohei Miriam, aneinu
Aneinu Magen David, aneinu
Aneinu Ha'oneh b'eit ratzon, aneinu
Aneinu Ha'oneh b'eit tzara, aneinu
Aneinu Ha'oneh b'eit rachamim, aneinu
Aneinu Elohei Hamerkavah, aneinu
Aneinu Rachum v'chanun, aneinu

Translation:
Answer us, God of Abraham, answer us
Answer us, One who remembered Sarah, answer us
Answer us, One who redeemed Isaac's fear, answer us
Answer us, God of Miriam, answer us
Answer us, shield of David, answer us
Answer us, One who responds in times of need, answer us
Answer us, One who responds in times of distress, answer us
Answer us, One who responds in times of mercy, answer us
Answer us, God of the chariot, answer us
Answer us, merciful and compassionate One, answer us

Ya'aleh		1:57		Singing Team - YK Melodies			0	1Singing Team - YK Melodies

Aneinu - Answer Us!

Origin:
Melody by Deborah Sacks Mintz, originally written with verses from Job 28, often included in Sephardi Slichot
This is a recording from NSP's Yom Kippur Community Singing Session in 2019

Makom Bina Nigun - Deborah Sacks Mintz

Origin:
Words are from S'lichot
Melody is by Rabbi Micha'el Rosenberg, originally written for Min Hameitzar
This is a recording from NSP's Yom Kippur Community Singing Session in 2019

Words:
Ya'aleh tachanuneinu me'erev
V'yavo shavateinu miboker
V'y'raeh rinoneinu ad arev

Ya'aleh koleinu me'erev
V'yavo tz'dakteinu miboker
V'y'raeh p'dyoneinu ad arev

Ya'aleh inoneinu me'erev
V'yavo s'lichateinu miboker
V'y'raeh na'akteinu ad arev

Ya'aleh m'nosenu me'erev
V'yavo l'maanenu miboker
V'y'raeh kipurenu ad arev

Ya'aleh y'sha'enu me'erev
V'yavo taharenu miboker
V'y'raeh chinonenu ad arev

Ya'aleh - set to Min Hameitzar

Origin:
Words are from the selichot service
Melody is from Sephardi/Mizrachi selichot
This is a recording that Batya Levine made for NSP in preparation for co-leading High Holiday services with Rabbi Joseph in 2019

Words:
Adon Ha-Selichot, bochen livavot
Golah amukot, doveir tzedakot
Chatanu lefanecha, rachem aleinu

Hadur ba-niflaot, vatik bi-nechamot
Zocheir berit avot, chokeir kilayot
Chatanu lefanecha, rachem aleinu

Tov u'meitiv labriot, yodei’a kol nistarot
Koveish avonot, loveish tzedakot
Chatanu lefanecha, rachem aleinu

Maleh zechuyot, nora tehilot
Soleach avonot, oneh b'eit tzarot
Chatanu lefanecha, rachem aleinu

Poh-el yeshuot, tzofeh atidot
Koreh hadorot, rochev aravot
Shomeah tefilot, t'mim dei-ot
Chatanu lefanecha, rachem aleinu

Adon HaSelichot

Tune: an adaptation of the song 'Galeh' by Moshe Shur
Concept from Joseph Berman, Words by Joseph Berman & Batya Levine for the Neilah service on Yom Kippur

Open, open up the gates for 
All who gather here
Open up the gates for
all who seek your presence

Open, open up the gates of
Kindness and compassion
Open up the gates of
Wholeness and peace 
 
Open, open up the gates of 
Freedom and justice
Open up the gates of
Liberation

Open, open up the gates of
Change and release
Open up the gates of 
Transformation

Open, open up the gates of 
Healing and forgiveness 
Open up the gates of
Reconciliation

Open, open up the gates of
Listening and patience 
Open up the gates of 
Humility 

Open, open up the gates of 
Prayer and wisdom 
Open up the gates of
Intuition

Open, open up the gates of 
Equity and honor
Open up the gates of
Dignity
 
Open, open up the gates of
Torah and blessing
Open up the gates of
Gratitude and learning 

Open, open up the gates of
Love and connection
Open up the gates of 
Giving and receiving

Open, open up the gates of 
Trust and pleasure
Open up the gates of
Abundance

Open, open up the gates of    
Joy and resilience 
Open up the gates of 
Liberation

Open Up the Gates - Melody: 'Galeh' by Moshe Shur// english words by Joseph Berman & Batya Levine

recorded by Sol Weiss, Aly Halpert & Margot Seigle

Ki anu amecha, v’atah Eloheinu;
anu vanecha v’atah avinu.
Anu avadecha, v’atah adoneinu;
anu k’halecha, v’atah chelkeinu.
Anu nachalatecha, v’atah goraleinu;
anu tzonecha, v’atah ro’einu.
Anu charmecha, v’atah not’reinu;
anu f’ulatecha, v’atah yotz’reinu.
Anu ra’yatecha, v’atah dodeinu;
anu s’gulatecha, v’atah eloheinu.
Anu amecha, v’atah malkeinu.

כִ י אָ נּו עַ מֶ ָך וְ אַ תָ ה אֱ ֹלהֵ ינּו
אָ נּו בָ נֶיָך וְ אַ תָ ה אָ בִ ינּו
אָ נּו עֲ בָ דֶ יָך וְ אַ תָ ה אֲ דֹונֵנּו
אָ נּו קְ הָ לֶ ָך וְ אַ תָ ה חֶ לְ קֵ נּו
אָ נּו נַחֲ לָ תֶ ָך וְ אַ תָ ה גֹורָ לֵ נּו
אָ נּו צֹאנֶָך וְ אַ תָ ה רֹועֵ נּו
אָ נּו כַ רְ מֶ ָך וְ אַ תָ ה נֹוטְ רֵ נּו
אָ נּו פְ עֻ לָ תֶ ָך וְ אַ תָ ה יֹוצְ רֵ נּו
אָ נּו רַ עְ יָתֶ ָך וְ אַ תָ ה דֹודֵ נּו
אָ נּו סְ גֻ לָ תֶ ָך וְ אַ תָ ה אֱ ֹלהֵ ינּו
אָ נּו עַ מֶ ָך וְ אַ תָ ה מַ לְ כֵ נּו

We are Your people and You are our God. We are Your children;
You, our parent. We are the ones who serve You; You, the one
who calls us to service. We are Your community; You are all
we need. We are Your portion forever; and You, our destined
one. We are Your flock; You are our shepherd. We are Your
vineyard; You watch over us. We are the fruit of Your labor;
You are our creator. We are Your loving friend; and You, our
beloved companion. We are your people, you are our Sovereign.

Adapted from Temple Rodef Shalom Yom Kippur Prayerbook

Ki Anu Amecha

The New Synagogue Project is building a spiritually vibrant, radically inclusive synagogue that reflects our vision for a world of justice, equity, and liberation. Our community is being created by and for families with kids, couples and single people, queer and trans people, disabled and chronically ill people, D/deaf and hard of hearing folks, interfaith families, Jews of color and white Jews, Jews from many religious and secular backgrounds, and anyone interested in exploring and experiencing Jewish life. 

We believe communal singing is an incredibly powerful way to pray, connect with each other and ourselves, and find healing. Singing infuses our services and gatherings, and we are always looking for new ways to create vibrant, songful experiences. Come sing with us!