The Jewish Songs That Fight Despair
What a Holocaust orphan’s anthem from Shanghai can teach us about overcoming calamity today
There is an unsolved mystery at the heart of one of the most popular Jewish songs in history.
Every Friday evening, Jews around the world recite the poetic prayer “Lecha Dodi” to welcome the Sabbath. Written by the 16th-century mystic Shlomo Alkabetz, the hymn has been put to many melodies over the generations. But whatever the tune, something strange happens midway through the song: The congregation changes the melody, often switching from a slower dirge to an upbeat march or energetic dance. And no one seems to know why.
I once asked , perhaps the greatest modern Jewish musicologist, for the explanation behind this practice. He told me. They got tired of the first melody.
