The Aram Soba (Aleppo) tradition

The Aram Soba (Aleppo) tradition

Aram Soba is the traditional Hebrew name for Aleppo (Halab) in Syria, home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world. During the twentieth century most of the community left Syria and rebuilt its synagogues and customs in Brooklyn and Deal (New Jersey), Mexico City, Panama, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Israel and elsewhere.

The community kept a distinctive nusach (prayer text and order) and minhag (customs), and a musical tradition in which prayers are sung using the maqamat, the melodic modes of Middle Eastern music. The Ta’amim (cantillation) of the Torah, the Haftara and the Megillot are also read in the community’s own melody.

LearnTefillah records Rabbis and Hazzanim from these communities so that this our tradition and way of praying can be learned and passed on, wherever you live.