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Who was Debbie Friedman?
Debbie Friedman was an American Jewish singer-songwriter who changed the voice of American Jewish spirituality and prayer. She was born in Utica, New York in 1951 and started as a group song leader in the Reform movement’s Olin-Sang-Ruby Union summer camp in Wisconsin in the early 1970s. She composed hundreds of songs, many of which are based on Jewish liturgy, and recorded 20 albums. Her most well-known composition, “Mi Shebeirach,” is a Hebrew-English version of the Jewish prayer for healing, which is sung in synagogues around the world. She also performed in synagogues and concert halls, and inspired thousands of fans with her sing-along style of folk-inspired music. She was a pioneer of gender-sensitive language in Jewish worship, using the feminine forms of the Divine or altering masculine-only text references in the Jewish Liturgy to include females. She was also a feminist, a lover of music, and a mentor to many young Jewish musicians.
How did Debbie Friedman die?
Debbie Friedman died on January 9, 2011 at the age of 59 in a hospital in Orange County, California. She had been suffering from an undisclosed illness for years, which affected her ability to perform and travel. According to JTA, she was hospitalized for pneumonia and was in a medically induced coma before she passed away. Her funeral was held on January 11, 2011 at Temple Beth Sholom in Santa Ana, California, and was attended by hundreds of mourners, including her family, friends, colleagues, and fans. Her music was played and sung throughout the service, and many tributes were paid to her life and legacy.
What was Debbie Friedman’s impact on Jewish music and culture?
Debbie Friedman’s impact on Jewish music and culture was immense and lasting. She transformed Jewish worship in North America and beyond, bringing the ancient liturgy alive for those who could not always connect to traditional cantorial music. She taught people to sing as communities and congregations, and to express their emotions and spirituality through music. She also helped people find healing and comfort through her songs, especially her famous “Mi Shebeirach,” which became a source of hope and strength for many who faced illness or hardship. She was widely respected and loved by Jews of all denominations and backgrounds, and her songs are used in Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox Jewish congregations. She also influenced a generation of Jewish musicians and songwriters, who followed her example and continued her legacy of creating innovative and meaningful Jewish music.
According to the World Union for Progressive Judaism, “Were it not for Debbie, Reform and Progressive Jews would not have discovered the connection between prayers and healing. While Reform worship was once characterized by organs and choirs, Debbie taught us to sing as communities and congregations. The guitar became a sacred instrument in her hands and she opened our hearts and souls to the joy of communal song.”
According to Rabbi Jacqueline Koch Ellenson, director of the Women’s Rabbinic Network, “One of the blessings that Debbie gave us was helping people understand that the healing of the body is something somewhat distinct from the healing of the soul.”
According to Cantor Harold Messinger of Beth Am Israel in Penn Valley, PA, “Debbie was the first, and every contemporary hazzan, song leader, and layperson who values these concepts is in her debt.”
Debbie Friedman’s cause of death was a tragic loss for the Jewish community and the world of music, but her songs and spirit live on in the hearts and voices of those who sing them. She was a religious bard and angel for the entire community, and her legacy will continue to inspire and heal for generations to come.
