This article explains the main kinds of religious Jewish music from the time of the Temple until today.

History of religious Jewish music

The history of religious Jewish music includes music from the Jerusalem Temples, synagogues, and cantors (singers) who created songs for Jewish worship since the time of the First Temple. The earliest music used in synagogues was similar to the music played during Jewish rituals in the Temple in Jerusalem. According to the Mishnah, the Temple's regular orchestra had twelve instruments and a group of twelve male singers. Other instruments, such as the uggav (a small flute) and the abbuv (a reed flute or oboe-like instrument), were known to ancient Hebrews but were not part of the Temple's regular orchestra.

After the Second Temple was destroyed and Jewish people spread to other regions, music in religious settings was first forbidden. Later, these rules were eased, except for Yemenite Jews, who followed strict rules from the Talmud and Maimonides. Instead of playing musical instruments, they focused on improving singing and rhythm.

The development of piyyut (a type of religious poem) helped Jewish religious music become more defined. In synagogues, the hazzan (a religious singer) sang piyyutim using melodies chosen by the composer or created by the hazzan himself. This introduced fixed melodies into synagogal music. The music may have included phrases from Temple songs and scripture, but mostly used tones familiar to Jews from different times and places, blending borrowed tunes with local musical styles.

Classical Jewish religious music

During the Renaissance, Jewish communities in western Europe began to show interest in updating their religious services by using composed music inspired by European styles. Salamone Rossi, a composer in the court of Mantua, published a collection of musical settings for psalms in a style similar to Monteverdi. However, these compositions were not widely used in synagogues until the late 19th century. In the 18th century, the Jewish community in Venice commissioned works from non-Jewish composers such as Carlo Grossi and Benedetto Marcello.

By 1603, historical records indicate that harpsichords were used in Spanish and Portuguese synagogues in Hamburg. In the 18th century, the Amsterdam Jewish community, along with others like Hamburg, experienced a growth in classical music within synagogues. Key composers of this time included Abraham de Casseres and Christian Joseph Lidarti. In Amsterdam, there was a tradition, influenced by the Zohar, of holding instrumental concerts on Friday afternoons before the Sabbath began, to help prepare worshippers for the evening service.

In the Ashkenazi Jewish community, the push for composed Jewish music began in early 19th-century Vienna, where Salomon Sulzer created musical settings for much of the synagogue service. His work combined traditional Jewish music with a style similar to that of Schubert, a contemporary and friend. Similar compositions were created by composers like Louis Lewandowski of Berlin, Samuel Naumbourg of Paris, and Japhet of Frankfurt. During this time, choirs and organs became commonly used in synagogues, though in Orthodox synagogues, organs are not played on Shabbat or holidays and are typically reserved for events like weddings. In the 20th century, Anglo-Jewish composers such as Samuel Alman, Mombach, and Saqui continued this musical tradition.

Contemporary Jewish religious music

Religious Jewish music in the 20th century has changed a lot. It has included styles such as Shlomo Carlebach's nigunim, Debbie Friedman's Jewish feminist folk music, and the many musical styles of Daniel Ben Shalom (archived on the Wayback Machine on December 11, 2018). Velvel Pasternak worked throughout the late 20th century to preserve Jewish music by writing down songs that were once passed down only through spoken tradition. Sometimes Jewish music becomes popular in the wider world, such as with reggae artist Matisyahu, who is a recent example. In the 1970s, Jewish boys' choirs became popular, including Pirchei (Volumes 1–6), Miami Boys' Choir, Toronto Pirchei, and London School of Jewish Song. At the same time, vocal groups like Rabbis' Sons, Rashi and the Rishonim, Simchatone, and Ohr Chodosh gained popularity.

Many Orthodox Jews often limit what their children listen to, to avoid exposing them to ideas and styles they consider harmful. A lot of music created by Orthodox Jews for children focuses on teaching religious and ethical traditions and laws. The lyrics in these songs are usually written in English, with some Hebrew or Yiddish words.

Cantillation

The oldest surviving tradition in Jewish music is the melodies used for chanting readings from the Scriptures. These melodies are shown with special symbols printed above or below each word in the Hebrew Bible. They can be very different between Jewish communities, though some similarities suggest they may have a shared origin. The melodies also change depending on the book or passage being read, or the time of year. For example, special melodies are used for readings during the High Holy Days, Tisha B'Av, Purim, and the three festival holidays—Sukkot, Pesach, and Shavu'ot. Additionally, there are unique melodies for chanting the Ten Commandments, the Song of the Sea, and other specific sections of text.

Prayer chants

Many passages in the prayer book, such as the Amidah and the Psalms, are chanted in a style called recitative. This is different from reading in normal speech or singing to a rhythmic tune. The specific way a community chants is sometimes called its nusach. The recitatives follow a system of musical modes, similar to the maqamat used in Arabic music. For example, Ashkenazi cantors use scales called steiger, named after the prayers they are most often used in, such as the Adonoi moloch steiger and the Ahavoh rabboh steiger. Mizrahi communities, like the Syrian Jews, use the full maqam system.

The scales used can change depending on the prayer and the time of year. For example, special modes are often used during the High Holy Days. In Syrian traditions, the scale used depends on the Torah reading for the week (see Weekly Maqam). In some cases, the melodies are fixed, while in others, the reader can improvise.

Some parts of the prayers, such as Nishmat, the Kaddish before Barechu, and the Kedushah, are often performed with more detailed singing or choral music. In some traditions, tunes from popular hymns are used for these parts, while in others, special choral compositions are created.

Piyyut

A piyyut is a Jewish religious poem that is usually sung, chanted, or recited during worship services. These poems have been written since ancient times. Most piyyutim are written in Hebrew or Aramaic, and many follow specific poetic patterns, such as using letters from the Hebrew alphabet in order or spelling out the author’s name. Some use rhythmic patterns similar to those found in Arabic poetry.

Many piyyutim are familiar to people who regularly attend synagogue services. One well-known example is Adon Olam ("Master of the World"), which is sometimes credited to Solomon ibn Gabirol in 11th-century Spain. This poem uses rhyming pairs of lines with eight syllables each. It is often sung at the end of services, after the nightly recitation of the Shema, and during the morning ritual of wearing tefillin. Another popular piyyut is Yigdal ("May God be Hallowed"), which is based on the Thirteen Principles of Faith created by Maimonides.

Piyyutim are traditionally sung with specific tunes, but these tunes differ among communities. A single community may have up to ten different melodies for famous piyyutim like Adon Olam and Yigdal. Modern Jewish composers, such as Philip Glass, sometimes create choral versions of piyyutim.

Zemirot

Zemirot are Jewish hymns that are often sung in Hebrew or Aramaic, but sometimes in Yiddish or Ladino. The most well-known zemirot are those sung during meals on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Some Sabbath zemirot are connected to specific times of day, such as those sung during the Friday evening meal, the Saturday noon meal, and Seudah Shlishit, the third Sabbath meal just before sunset on Saturday afternoon. In some Jewish prayerbooks (siddur), the lyrics of these hymns are printed after the opening prayer (kiddush) for each meal. Other zemirot are more general and can be sung during any meal or other sacred event.

Many zemirot include words from poems written by rabbis and sages during the Middle Ages. Others are traditional folk songs that have been shared by people over many generations.

Nigun

Nigun refers to religious songs and tunes that are sung by groups. It is a type of music that uses voice and instruments, often without words. Instead, sounds like “bim-bim-bam” or “Ai-ai-ai!” are used. Sometimes, Bible verses or quotes from other Jewish texts are repeated in the form of a nigun. Nigunim are often created spontaneously, though some follow a specific theme or pattern.

Interest in nigun grew during the Hasidism movement. Different Hasidic groups have their own nigunim, many composed by their Rebbe or leader. One well-known composer was Yankel Talmud, who led the Ger choir in Poland and Jerusalem and created more than 1,500 nigunim to accompany prayers. Hasidim sing together during holidays. Some nigunim are used for personal meditation and are called devekus or devekut (connecting with God) nigunim. These are usually slower and sung without words. The Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism, described devekus nigunim as “songs that go beyond just words and sounds.” Nigun is also used by the Musar movement, the Jewish Renewal movement, and other Jewish groups.

Pizmonim

Pizmonim are traditional Jewish songs and melodies used to praise God and teach religious teachings. They are sung during religious rituals and celebrations, such as prayers, circumcisions, bar mitzvahs, weddings, and other ceremonies. Pizmonim are most closely linked to Middle Eastern Sephardic Jews, though they are similar to Ashkenazi Jews' zemirot. The most famous tradition comes from Jews with ancestors from Aleppo, but similar traditions exist among Iraqi Jews, where the songs are called shbaִhoth (praises), and in North African countries. Jewish people from Greece, Turkey, and the Balkans also have similar songs in Ladino, which are called coplas and are connected to festivals.

Many pizmonim texts are from the Middle Ages or earlier and are based on Bible verses. Some are taken from the Tanakh, while others were written by poets like Yehuda Halevi and Israel Najara of Gaza. Some melodies are very old, while others are based on popular Middle Eastern music, with words written specifically to match the tune.

Baqashot

The Baqashot are a collection of prayers, songs, and requests that have been sung by the Sephardic Aleppian Jewish community and other groups for many years each week on Shabbat morning from midnight until dawn. These songs are usually sung during the winter months, when nights are longer.

The tradition of singing Baqashot began in Spain around the time of the expulsion of Jews from the country. It became more popular in the 16th century among spiritual groups in Safed. Baqashot likely developed from the practice of saying prayers asking for help before dawn. Followers of Isaac Luria, a spiritual leader from the 16th century, helped spread this tradition from Safed. As the spiritual teachings from Safed spread, the singing of Baqashot became common in many communities around the Mediterranean, including Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Rhodes, Greece, Yugoslavia, Egypt, Turkey, and Syria. It also influenced spiritual groups in Italy during the 18th century and was practiced for a time in Sephardic communities in western Europe, such as Amsterdam and London, though it was later stopped in those places. By the early 20th century, Baqashot had become a widespread religious practice in several communities in Jerusalem, where it was used as a shared form of prayer.