Image by Courtesy of Ilene Safyan

Music coordinator Congregation Havurah Shalom Portland, Oregon
Age: 62
Nominated by: Herself
Song: “P’tach Lanu Sha’ar,” from Yom Kippur Liturgy, music by Ilene Safyan

Jewish music — whether the origins are Eastern European, Israeli, Sephardic or American — has always resonated deeply within me. These melodies express yearning, hope, laugher and life. When I moved to Portland, I joined a congregation that was hungry to learn Jewish music, and I had the knowledge to teach. One year, the congregation was without a cantor for the High Holidays. I was asked to learn to chant the Kol Nidre. That first year, after the first repetition, the entire congregation joined in, singing with me. That began both a congregational tradition and a personal journey that has continued for the past 30 years. Jewish music is connection. It’s the expression of the hearts and collective hopes of our people over the generations. The best way for us to join together, for us to express our hopes and fears and all that we hold dear, is through music. People want to sing, to be touched. That seems to be the fastest pathway to the heart. — Ilene Safyan

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

INFLUENCES: Chava Alberstein, Arik Einstein, Achinoam Nini, Joni Mitchell, Dudu Fisher, Debbie Friedman, Eva Cassidy — these are probably at the top of the list of singers whose voices speak (and sing) to me. For me, just as important as the “who” is the “what.” I listen and think of these questions: Does the melody reflect the intention of the prayer? Does the voice reflect what is being sung? And the accessibility — can people join in?

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount