Welcoming Shabbat with a New Version of Lecha Dodi Sung All Across the UK

We've posted 25 versions of Shalom Aleichem since we started Jewish Humor Central, but so far most of them have been well known traditional melodies. This week it's time for something different.

Shabbat UK, a project of Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, is a truly ground breaking initiative that seeks to promote active engagement with Shabbat throughout the UK.

At its core, Shabbat UK is about harnessing all the goodness and uniqueness of a traditional, authentic Shabbat and inviting Jews around the country to celebrate it in a way they never have before. Shabbat is a central part of what it is to be Jewish. Its uplifting and transformative qualities play a crucial role in producing a stronger sense of Jewish identity and belonging.

Chief Rabbi Mirvis commissioned the Israeli rock band Shtar to compose a brand new tune for Lecha Dodi, the liturgical poem that we sing every Friday night to welcome the Shabbat in honor of Shabbat UK, which this year falls on March 1 and 2. He then sent it to schools across the UK. This is what happened next.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

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