Two Psalmodic Styles in One Synagogue: Psalm Singing in the Sephardic “Aboav” Synagogue in Safed, Israel

Abstract

The opening section of most synagogue services, especially those of the morning, consists mainly of a selection of psalms. The Eastern Sephardic and North African Jews perform these liturgical psalms in a very distinctive musical genre we will call “psalm singing.” In this article, we will investigate psalm singing in one synagogue that is considered to belong to the Eastern Sephardic tradition. The paper will show how an analysis of the musical characteristics of psalm singing in this synagogue led us to draw conclusions regarding the coexistence of two styles of psalm performances in that community.