*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

sung by R' Mónica Gomery, Batya Levine, and Ilana Lerman

Achat Shaalti, traditional Ashkenazi tune by S Mernick

Karov

We Are Good, We Are Flawed, by Batya Levine

אלהי נשמה שנתתה בי
טהורה היא

Elohai neshamah shenatatah bee 
tehorah hee 

"God, the soul that You have given me is pure."

From "Avodat Lev: Service of the Heart" by members of the ADAMAH Fellowship. Buy it here: http://isabellafreedman.org/store/avodat-lev:-service-of-the-heart-(cd)-adamah/dp/4798

Co-produced by Shir Yaakov Feit and Kassia Arbabi.



Elohai Neshama by Rabbi Shefa Gold - אלהי נשמה

Ufros, Text from Evening Prayerbook Liturgy, melody by Shir Meira Feit 
וּפְרוֹשׂ עָלֵינוּ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ וְתַקְּנֵנוּ בְּעֵצָה טוֹבָה מִלְּפָנֶיךָ וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ

U·fros a·lei·nu su·kat she·lo·me·cha
Ve·tak·nei·nu be·ei·tzah to·vah mil·fa·ne·cha ve·ho·shi·ei·nu

Spread over us the shelter of Your peace and guide us to better ourselves through Your good counsel.

Ufros - Shir Meira Feit

V'yitnu L'kha Keter M'lukha

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

Tehom Nigun by Mónica Gomery

Tu Bshvat Nigun by Batya Levine sung live at Let My People Sing! 2018.

LMPS 2018

Tu Bshvat Nigun - Batya Levine - LMPS 2018

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

Chai Ani by Dovid Zeller

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

This is a chant grounded in the resilience, courage, and hope of our Jewish ancestors, reminding us that when we fight for life and for justice, we are weaving ourselves with all justice-fighters who came before us. No fight is too big for our fierce and courageous hearts. 

As the story goes: In 1939, Nazis surrounded a group of Jews from Lublin, Poland, backed up against barbed wire and ordered them to sing to their own execution. One man began to sing: "Mir veln zey iberlebn, iberlebn, iberlebn” —"We will outlive them.” The song took hold among the entire people, who, as they awaited their deaths, began to dance. They danced with joy, with resilience, with a life that could not be destroyed by fascism, militarism, or genocide. The commander saw this resilience. He recognized their defiance. They continued, even as the SS troops charged at them. Most lost their lives that day. And some lived to tell this story. We are here. We will outlive them. We will join forces and voices with others to fight so we can all outlive them, together (thank you, Jews for Racial & Economic Justice!). 

Vocals: Avra Shapiro
Melody: Avra Shapiro
Arrangement: Avra Shapiro & Nadav Simon 
Bass: Matt Coglianese
Drums: Nadav Simon
Violin: Mallory Linehan
Production and Mixing: Nadav Simon
Mastering: Steve Marek 
Recorded and Mastered at Cybernetic Meadow
Art by Micah Bazant (poster can be bought here: https://www.micahbazant.com/buy-art/we-will-outlive-them).

Ki Anu Amecha

Nishmat Shoom

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