Sunday, January 9, 2011

A Legacy of Song

The Jewish community lost a remarkable presence today. Debbie Friedman died early this morning.

Debbie has always been a presence in my life. Even before I met her in person at OSRUI in 1991, her music had a deep impact on my connection to prayer and Jewish life. 

But tonight, as I put my kids to bed, I realized her most lasting impact on my life.

Each night, we sing a bedtime Shema.

We sing Debbie's Shema.

And then, upon further reflection, I realized that we sing the Alef-Bet Song almost every morning.

And Havdalah each week. And I know that there are many many more...

Talk about a legacy. My kids will always know her, even without her physically present.

May her memory be for a blessing.
She will not be forgotten.

4 comments:

Rabbi Paul Kipnes said...

Her songs are an integral part of my family's life. We miss her!

Leora said...

Beautifully said.

Linda K. Wertheimer said...

How poignant and well written. Hope to learn the aleph-bet songs soon so I can sing it to my tot.
Best, Linda
(aka writer of the Jewish Muse blog, http://jewishmuse.com)

Jew Wishes said...

What a lovely post. It is so sad, she was young, vibrant and a testament to faith.