Welcoming Shabbat with Veshamru by Rabbi Esteban Gottfried and Atalya Lavi in Tel Aviv

Rabbi Esteban Gottfried is the rabbi, co-founder and director of Beit Tefilah Israeli (BTI), a fast-growing community in Tel Aviv that is renewing and revitalizing the notion of prayer. Services at BTI combine live music, modern poetry and literature with the traditional prayer book. 

In recent years BTI became famous for its Summer Kabbalat Shabbat service at the Tel Aviv port, which attracts up to 800 worshippers each week. This phenomenon—attracting many secular Israelis who once felt marginalized by the Jewish community—is now being replicated in Jerusalem and throughout Israel.

In this video, Rabbi Gottfried and Atalya Lavi sing Veshamru, from the Shabbat service. 

Atalya has been singing from a very young age. When she was in the army she was chosen as the lead singer in the IDF orchestra. After her military service she continued on to major in music in Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music. Since 2009 she has been performing all around Israel and abroad. 

Enjoy and Shabbat shalom!