Famous Singer And Songwriter Debbie Friedman Died

Debbie Friedman, an artist wanted for more than three decades married Jewish sacred singing tradition of popular music, died Sunday after a bout of pneumonia. She was in her sixties, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Cantor Bruce Ruben, director of the School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College, Jewish Institute of Religion in Manhattan called Friedman, a pioneer who has had a "huge impact" on contemporary Jewish practice providing a traditional approach to liturgical music. Rubén described it as an "electric" performer. Its website says it has released over 20 albums.
"Some of their songs will be standard in our services for as long as I can imagine," he said.
She is best known for his composition "My Shebeirach," a prayer for the healing that is sung in many congregations in North America.
"It's a strange thing that pain creates beauty and healing potential. It's hard to imagine that provide a basis for the beautiful moments that arise," Friedman says on its website. "The willingness of both offer and receive the blessings of healing and wellness allows one who is injured to process and unravel your pain."
Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum of Temple Israel in Lawrence expressed regret moving from Friedman and compared their music with "a great sermon."
"A great sermon is one that addresses the issues that people want and need to listen," said Rosenbaum. "His music covers just that. It was not sophisticated in the classical sense, but it was moving. It was the gospel music of the synagogue."