FRIEDMAN, DEBORAH LYNN

FRIEDMAN, DEBORAH LYNN (1951– ), singer and songwriter of late 20th century American Jewish liturgical and popular music. Beginning in the early 1970s, Friedman, a native of Utica, N.Y., produced 19 recordings and seven song books of contemporary Hebrew and English music. Her compositions combined traditional Jewish texts and liturgy with newly written lyrics and melodies influenced by both American and Israeli popular music. By the beginning of the 21st century, her liturgical music had "crossed over" from its initial origins in Reform Judaism's youth movement to Conservative and modern Orthodox congregations as well as to educational and camp settings. Many Christian groups also adopted some of her English religious songs. Friedman, who moved to New York City in 1995, gave a concert at Carnegie Hall in 1996 to commemorate 25 years of singing and song writing. Despite a terrible blizzard, thousands turned out to see her performance. That year she also won the Covenant Foundation Award for her impact in Jewish education and the ASCAP Annual Popular Awards. Friedman's recordings included Ani Ma'amin (1976), If Not Now, When (1980), And the Youths Shall See Visions (1981), And You Shall Be a Blessing (1989), Live at the Dell (1990), The World of Your Dreams (1993), Renewal of Spirit (1995), Debbie Friedman at Carnegie Hall (1996), It's You (1998), The Water in the Well (2001), and Light These Lights (2001). Her song Misheberach, which she called a "sermon in song," became an anthem of the Jewish healing movement. Friedman's close association with feminist circles involved her in creating songs and settings for traditional and new Passover texts for the Ma'yan Haggadah, written in collaboration with Tamar Cohen, for use at women's seders. Friedman's music caused controversy in the Jewish community. Many standard bearers of ḥazzanut opposed the entry of her music into the synagogue, claiming that it, lacked nusaḥ or any Jewish rootedness. However, the greater American Jewish community widely recognized her achievements: the National Federation of Temple Youth made her a lifetime member, and she was awarded the Jewish Fund for Justice Woman of Valor Award (1997). She was honored by the Jewish Women's Archive; received the Jewish Cultural Achievement Award in Performing Arts from the National Foundation for Jewish Culture in 2002; and received the Lion of Judah Award in 2004, among many other accolades. (Judith S. Pinnolis (2nd ed.)