This audio recording features Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach singing his original melody for Psalm 126, Shir Hama’alot (Song of Ascents), which is widely recited by Ashkenazi Jews before the Grace After Meals on Shabbat, Jewish holidays and other days on which the penitential Tachanun prayer is not recited. It expresses the Jewish hope of return to Zion following their final redemption. Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach (1925-1994), also known as the “Singing Rabbi,” composed thousands of melodies and recorded over 25 albums. Although his roots lay in Orthodox traditions, he branched out to create his own style, combining warmth and personal interaction, public concerts, and song-filled synagogue services. Credited with being a pioneer in the Ba’al Teshuva movement, he encouraged secular men and women to reconnect with Judaism through song and story telling. To this day you can find minyanim, or prayer quorums, all over the world that pray in a “Carlebach style.”