For the past 8 years, I’ve dedicated much of my mission to spreading the beauty of Karaite music. It started with releasing Rotem Cohen’s recording of Ronnu Shamayim, arguably the most famous Karaite melody. Then I continued to work with Rotem on bringing out other traditional Karaite melodies, such as Kelil Yofi, my favorite song. Today, I want to share some of the behind the scenes discussions and work that went into producing the first Meditation Project we did.
Category Archives: Nir Nissim
The Oral History of The First Karaite Meditation: Circle of Belief
Filed under Mantra, Meditation, Nir Nissim, Priel Nissim, Rotem Cohen
My Birkat Hamazon is Wrong, But It’s Better Than Yours
My Birkat brings all the boys to the yard, I can teach and I won’t even charge. Or something like that. About a year ago, I was caught in what appeared at the time to be a mind-numbing debate over some minutiae regarding a single word in the Birkat Hamazon that appears in Karaite texts. It turns out the debate was not mind-numbing at all and a simple look through the Cairo Geniza would have solved the whole issue and explained a whole lot more.
Filed under Eli Shmuel, Geniza, James Walker, Liturgy, Neria Haroeh, Nir Nissim, Prayer, Siddur
Learning 4: An Introduction to Karaite Liturgy (New Video)
During the past six months I’ve done a few online classes. They are fun, and I look forward to doing more. I finally got around to recording the one on the Karaite liturgy. You can watch that one here. I have a few more to record.
For the Karaite liturgy video, I put up a challenge to raise money for The Karaite Press. Check it out to see whether you’ll be donating $10, $20 or $30. (Of course, feel free to donate nothing. Or more.)
Filed under Aaron ben Joseph, Karaite Prayers & Melody, Mantra, Nir Nissim, Rotem Cohen
Reader Poll: Can You Detect a Crimean Karaite Melody?
I know. I know. It’s not even Shavuot and here I am talking about lamentations for the month of Av. But I can’t stop listening to these snippets I received from Hazzan Rotem Cohen. He recorded the introductory words of a well-known Karaite lamentation for me in two renditions: once with the Egyptian tune and once with the Crimean tune. Today, I want to see if you can identify which is which.
Filed under Aaron ben Joseph, Av, Mourning, Nir Nissim, Rotem Cohen, The Temple
Behind that Cups Video is a Hallelujah and a Song of Defiance
Cups . . . the gift that keeps giving
By now, most of you have seen the Rotem Cohen Cups video that the Karaite Jews of America has posted on its Facebook page and website. Today, I share with you some of the background of the video and let you know that a lot more is coming your way.
Purim 2019: Nailed it!
“There was light and joy . . . ” Happy Purim, Everyone
That’s a wrap on Purim 2019. Yes, I said that right. Purim is over. I’m not talking about Purim Katan. I’m talking about the real deal – the actual holiday of Purim. Purim of Adar I. The only Purim that I have ever really been into. And the Karaite Jews of America had quite an extravaganza.
So much so that maybe next year we will plan a shabbaton around it.
Filed under Nir Nissim, Priel Nissim, Purim
Great Miracles are Happening Here
Nir & Priel Nissim (Photo by Aviram Elisha)
Nir & Priel Nissim should be Chabad emissaries – or whatever is the Karaite equivalent. Because of them, the past few months have given rise to an amazing, wonderful and spiritually uplifting occurrence in the Bay Area. The newly renovated home of the Karaite Jews of America is being filled with more learning and more blessings than I have ever seen.
It all started a few years back when Nir Nissim ha-Levy, a hazzan from Israel, visited the Karaite Jews of America in Daly City. The members of the community instantly took to his melodies, his heart and his desire. Fast forward a few years, Nir married Priel, an incredibly knowledgeable Israeli Karaite, and found their way to the Bay Area for a year.
Filed under Karaite Recipes, Moshe Firrouz, Nir Nissim, Priel Nissim, Women in Karaism
