Debbie Friedman’s Shalom Aleichem with Onscreen Transliteration

This video presents the operatic soprano, Rowna Sutin, performing Debbie Friedman’s original tune for Shalom Aleichem. Complete with onscreen transliterated text, this video is helpful for those who would like to learn the words for Shalom Aleichem and sing it to a popular tune. Debbie Friedman (1951-2011) was a Jewish Feminist, American singer and songwriter who composed music to many Jewish prayers and texts, influencing women’s prayer across all Jewish denominations. Recorded in her memory at the Reform Rodef Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh, PA, this tune was one of her final compositions. Shalom Aleichem is traditionally sung before the Kiddush as part of the Shabbat evening dinner ritual. In this rendition, each stanza is chanted once, although in many homes the custom is to recite each paragraph three times.