Origins & Early Life

Deborah Lynn Friedman (February 23, 1951 – January 9, 2011) was an American singer-songwriter of religious Jewish music. She was an early pioneer of gender-sensitive language: using the feminine forms of the Divine or altering masculine-only text references in the Jewish Liturgy to include feminine language. She is best known for her setting of "Mi Shebeirach" the prayer for Healing. Her songs are used in Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox Jewish congregations.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Friedman wrote many of her early songs as a song leader at the overnight camp Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, in the early 1970s. Between 1971 and 2010, she recorded 22 albums. Her work was inspired by such diverse sources as Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary and a number of other folk music artists. Friedman employed both English and Hebrew lyrics and wrote for all ages. Some of her songs are "The Aleph Bet Song", "Miriam's Song", and the songs "Not By Might" and "I Am A Latke".

Enduring Legacy & Impact

She also performed in synagogues and concert halls. In the fall of 1972, Friedman moved to Chicago. Friedman was commissioned by Chicago's Temple Sinai, and Rabbi Samuel Karff invited Friedman to join his congregation...

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