This is a recording of the chazan (cantor) Itamar Medina reciting the Kaddish prayer. This is a prayer recited in many Jewish services and ceremonies, but it is most associated with mourners who recite it for a year after the death of a close relative. The tune in which he is singing is a traditional Yemenite tune used only on Rosh Hashanah.
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Kaddish – The Kaddish is a prayer said in Aramaic, sanctifying and praising God and ending with a prayer for peace. It is a very important and central prayer and is said only when there is a minyan (a quorum of ten worshippers). Different versions of this prayer are used to separate the different sections of the service. A version of this prayer is known as the “Mourner's Kaddish” and it is said at the funeral of close family members and during the first year of mourning. It is also said at memorial services such as ceremonies commemorating the Jews murdered in the Holocaust. Despite the fact that the Kaddish is associated with mourning, death is not mentioned in the prayer and it is traditionally recited to show that despite their loss, the mourners still praise God. The prayer is written in Aramaic, once the common everyday Jewish language, so that the Jews would understand the important words. The oldest version of this prayer is from the ninth-century siddur of Rav Amram Gaon.
Rosh Hashanah – Rosh Hashanah is the celebration of the Jewish New Year which takes place on the first two days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. It is celebrated by blowing the shofar, lighting candles, eating festive meals, and attending services at the synagogue. Rosh Hashanah is the first of the High Holy days which end 10 days later with Yom Kippur. The ten-day period is called the Ten Days of Repentance, because it is believed that during this period a person’s deeds are judged and the future year is decided. It is a both a festive holiday and a solemn time of introspection which includes prayer, asking forgiveness from others, and giving tzedakah (charity). The prayers on Rosh Hashanah include asking God for a peaceful, prosperous, and healthy year. Rosh Hashanah also celebrates the creation of the world. People greet each other on Rosh Hashanah by saying: “Shana Tova (Happy New Year).” Food customs for Rosh Hashanah vary among the different communities but often include round challahs (instead of the customary long loaf), apples and honey, and pomegranates. Many people send Shana Tova cards to their friends and family.
Traditional Jewish Music – Each Jewish community has traditional music which is unique to its location. While most Jewish music is related to the prayer service, there is also much music that is independent of this, with musicians composing and performing music as a commentary on their life. The tradition of chazanim (cantors) creating music to accompany the prayer service dates back to the Temple, when the Tribe of Levi was tasked with playing instruments during the daily Temple service in Jerusalem. Many modern Israeli musicians and chazanim freely express the influence of a variety of different musical traditions.
Jewish Community of Yemen – The Yemenite Jewish community is a very old community, dating back to the time of the First Temple. There are also claims that they arrived after the destruction of the First Temple and archaeological finds have shown evidence of synagogues that were constructed in the second century CE. Until the seventh century CE, when Islam was introduced in the country, the Jews of Yemen belonged to the upper class of society. Under Muslim law, Jews were assured freedom of religion in exchange for a tax payed by all non-Muslim residents. Throughout history, the situation of the community shifted according to the degree of tolerance of the rulers. In the twelfth century, for examples, Jews were forced to choose between conversion and death, and many chose to live as anusim, Jews who practiced their religion in secret. Maimonides, referring to a letter sent to him from the Yemenite community, wrote that Jews may pretend to be Muslims, since Islam too is a monotheistic faith. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Jews enjoyed times of prosperity, but in the ensuing centuries they were subjected to persecution, violence, and exile. The community was spread throughout the many regions of Yemen. Sanaa was the centre of Jewish life and the location of the high rabbinical court. Another large community was in Aden, where the Jews enjoyed a free lifestyle under the British rulers of this strategic port, thus separating them from other Yemenite communities. The Yemenite tradition is distinct from Ashkenazi and Sephardic traditions and from the halacha. Many yeshivas and famous rabbis and scholars came from this community including the renowned Rabbi Shalom Shabazi. Yemenite Jews started immigrating to Israel from the nineteenth century, however the majority of the community arrived in Israel in 1949–1950 during Operation Magic Carpet. Other Jews, especially from Aden, immigrated to England. Only a handful of Jews still remain in Yemen, where they are experiencing intense anti-Semitism.