Sign In Forgot Password

Sh’ma Koleinu: Hear our Voice - Musical Traditions of the High Holy Days

Shana Tovah! And welcome to Sh'ma Koleinu: Hear Our Voice, the musical traditions of the High Holy Days at Temple Sinai, which was recorded live a the Paramount Theatre in 2002.

This recording was made as an educational tool to help you learn and feel more comfortable with the melodies for the High Holy Days. The liturgy for the High Holy Days calls for special melodies because it differs from the liturgy used the rest of the year. These melodies are said to date back to Mt. Sinai and the giving of the Torah, and are called MiSinai Tunes. They are considered sacred and sanctified, and are regarded by the rabbis as obligatory, for which no other melody may be substituted. The general purpose of the MiSinai Tunes is to call forth in the hearts of the Jewish people awe and devotion. In order to accomplish this task, the melodies are solemn and severe. These yearning melodies reflect the texts they are expressing, and are only heard at this time of year.

To hear the tracks on Sh'ma Koleinu, click below.

Rosh HaShana Evening
S'u Shearim - Rachelle Nelson
Shehecheyanu - Traditional Chant
Hin'ni - Israel Alter arr. Stephen Richards
Tik'u - Louis Lewandowski
Bar'chu - Traditional Chant arr. L. Lewandowski
Sh'ma - Salomon Sulzer
Mi Chamocha - Traditional Chant arr. Samuel Adler
Chatzi Kaddish - Traditional Chant arr. Max Janowski
Avot V'Imahot Zochreinu - Traditional Chant
Shalom Rav - Ben Steinberg
Avinu Malkeinu - Max Janowski
Avinu Malkeinu - Folk Tune arr. Jules Chajes
Bayom Hahu - Michael Isaacson

Rosh HaShana Morning
Hal'luyah - Louis Lewandowski
Mah Tovu - Louis Lewandowski
Chatzi Kaddish - Solomon Ancis
Mi Chamocha - Traditional Chant arr. Samuel Adler
Avot V'Imahot Zochreinu - Traditional Chant
Un'tane Tokef - Louis Lewandowski & Adolph Katchko
B'rosh Hashana - Bende & Joshua Lind
Ut'shuvah - Louis Lewandowski
K'dusha - Louis Lewandowski
Sim Shlom - Michael Isaacson
Adonai Adonai - Max Helfman
Grand Aleinu - Traditional Chant arr. Louis Lewandowski
Shofar Blessings - Herbert Fromm
Areshet S'fateinu - Folk Tune

Yom Kippur
Kol Nidrei - Traditional Chant arr. Herbert Fromm
Ashamnu - Folk Tune
V'al Kulam - Traditional Chant arr. A.W. Binder
Sh'ma Koleinu - Max Helfman
Ki Anu Amecha - Folk Tune
Hayom T'amtzeinu - Joseph Leonard

Mon, March 18 2024 8 Adar II 5784