An anthology of Kehilla songs

The songs were recorded by Brother Yohanan at home or during liturgical celebrations. They were all composed by members of the kehila over the years. Among these pioneers of kehila music are: Marousia (Sister of Our Lady of Sion), Brother Yohanan, Ora (Little Sister of Jesus), Shoshana Solomon, Rachel (Sister of the Beatitudes) and Anita (Carmelite Sister). "It can be pointed out that there was unanimity concerning the principle of not recording the name of the composer - and sometimes no one could even remember who it had been - because it was not important and "everything came from God" - it is He who inspires" (Brother Yohanan).

1. Odkha leolam - I will thank you forever (Psalm 52:9) - file mp3

{play}/images/stories/mp3/cantistorici/01-odkha-leolam.mp3{/play}

I will thank you forever
because of what you have done
In the presence of the faithful
I will proclaim your name
for it is good.

Odeka le-olam ki ‘asita (2x)
va-aqave shimka ki tov (2x)
neged hasideka (2x)

2. Ura, ura - Awake, awake (Ephesians 5:14) - file mp3

{play}/images/stories/mp3/cantistorici/02-ruah-ruah.mp3{/play}

Awake, awake, oh sleeper, and arise from the dead
Christ will shine on you, will shine on you.

Ura, Ura, hayashen vequma min hameitim
Veya'ir leka, veya'ir leka hamashiah

3. Dvar Elohaynu - The Word of our God (Is 40:8, 1Peter 1:24) - file mp3

{play}/images/stories/mp3/cantistorici/03-dvar-elohaynu.mp3{/play}

The Word of our Lord endures forever
All flesh is like grass
And all its glory like the flower of grass
The grass withers and the flower falls
But the Word of the Lord endures forever.

Dvar Elohenu yaqum le'olam
Kol habasar hatsir
Vekol hasdo ketsits hasadeh
Yavesh hatsir navel tsits
Udvar Elohenu yaqum le'olam.

4. Hasdei Adonay - The steadfast love of God (Psalm 89:1) - file mp3

{play}/images/stories/mp3/cantistorici/04-hasdei-adonay.mp3{/play}

I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord forever,
With my mouth I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations.

Hasdei Adonay ‘olam ashira
Ledor vador odi'a emunateka befi.

5. Mitsvah hadasha - A new commandment (John 13:34) - file mp3

{play}/images/stories/mp3/cantistorici/06-mitsvah-hadasha.mp3{/play}

I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another.
Just as I have loved you,
you also should love one another,
so said the Lord.

Blessed are the innocent of the way who walk in the Torah of the Lord.

Mitsva hadasha metsave ani lakem
Heyu ohavim ish et ahiv
Kmo she'ani ahavti etkem
Ko amar haAdon.

Ashrei temimei darek haholekim betorat Adonay.

(The song is sung to a Maronite melody of a song in Syriac (Aramaic) that is sung at Christmas time: "Shabho laho qolo".

6. Kol qoreh - A voice cries (Isaiah 40:3-5) - file mp3

{play}/images/stories/mp3/cantistorici/08-kol-qoreh.mp3{/play}

A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Qol qore bamidbar panu Derek Adonay
Yashru ba'arava mesila l'Eloheinu
Kol gey yinnase vekol har vegiv'a yishpalu
Vehaya he'aqov lemishor veharkasim leviq'a
Venigla kevod Adonay vera'u kol basar yahdav
Ki pi Adonay dibber.

7. Halleluya - file mp3

Halleluya
Be exalted O Lord in your strength
We will sing and praise your power
Halleluya

Halleluya
Ruma Adonay beuzeka
Nashira u-nezammera gevurateka
Halleluya

{play}/images/stories/mp3/cantistorici/09-halleluya.mp3{/play}

8. Betsayt Yisrael - When Israel went out from Egypt (Psalm 114) - file mp3

{play}/images/stories/mp3/cantistorici/10-betsayt-yisrael.mp3{/play}

When Israel went out from Egypt,
the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
Judah became God's sanctuary, Israel his dominion.
The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back.
The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.
Why is it, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back?
O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs?
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water.

Betset Yisrael miMitsrayim
Beit Ya'aqov me'am lo'eiz
Hayeta Yehuda leqodsho Yisrael mamshelotav
Ma leka hayam ki tanus, haYarden tisov le'ahor
Heharim tirqedu ke'eilim geva'ot kivnei tson
Hayam ra'a veyanos haYarden tisov le'ahor
Heharim raqedu ke'eilim geva'ot kivnei tson
Milifnei Adon huli arets milifnei Eloha Ya'aqov
Hahofhi hatsur agam mayim halamish lema'yeno mayim

(This is sung according to the Italian synagogue tradition)

9. Elohim yir'eh - God will provide (Genesis 22:1-18, Hebrews 11:19) - file mp3

{play}/images/stories/mp3/cantistorici/11-elohim-yireh.mp3{/play}

God will provide for himself the lamb, the lamb for the sacrifice.
All families of the earth will be blessed in you.
Because you did not withhold your son, your only one.

Elohim yir'eh lo haseh, haseh l'olah
Yitbarku beka kol mishpehot ha'adama
Ki lo hasakta et binka et yehideka.

10. Halleluya (Easter) (Psalm 118:16-24) - file mp3

Sing to the Lord for He has done great things
Halleluyah
Praise God in his holiness - Halleluya

The right hand of the Lord does valiantly
The right hand of the Lord is exalted
I shall not die but I shall live
And recount the deeds of the Lord.

The Lord has punished me severely
But he did not give me over to death
Open to me the gates of righteousness
That I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.

I thank you that you have answered me
And have become my salvation
The stone that the builders have rejected
Has become the corner stone.

This is the Lord's doing
It is marvelous in our eyes
This is the day the Lord has made
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Shiru l'Adonay ki nifla'ot asa
Halleluya
Hallelu El beqodsho - Halleluyah

Yemin Adonay osa hayil
Yemin Adonay romema
Lo amut ki ehye
va-asapper ma'asei Yah

Yasor yisserani Ya
Velamavet lo netanani
Pithu li sha'arei tsedeq
Avo vam ode Yah

Odeki ki anitani
Vatehi li lishu'a
Even ma'asu habonim
Hayeta lerosh pinna

Me'et Adonay hayeta zot
Hi niflat be'eineinu
Ze hayom 'asa Adonay
Nagila venismeha bo

(the opening verse is proclaimed here by Father Daniel, founder of the Haifa community)

{play}/images/stories/mp3/cantistorici/12-shiru-l-Adonay.mp3{/play}

11. Even ma'asu - The stone that was rejected (Psalm 118:21-24) - file mp3

I thank you that you have answered me
And have become my salvation
The stone that the builders have rejected
Has become the corner stone.

This is the Lord's doing
It is marvelous in our eyes
This is the day the Lord has made
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Odeki ki anitani
Vatehi li lishu'a
Even ma'asu habonim
Hayeta lerosh pinna

Me'et Adonay hayeta zot
Hi niflat be'eineinu
Ze hayom 'asa Adonay
Nagila venismeha bo

{play}/images/stories/mp3/cantistorici/13-even-maasu.mp3{/play}

12. Hodu l'Adonay - Thank the Lord - file mp3

Psalm 136 in its entirety.

{play}/images/stories/mp3/cantistorici/15-hodu-l-adonay.mp3{/play}