New London Synagogue blends queer anthems with Jewish liturgy in time for Pride - The Jewish Chronicle

It’s not the most traditional way to hear Yigdal, but when sung to the stirring tune of I Am What I Am from La Cage aux Folles, the prayer is moving, fun and joyfully defiant – and perfectly timed for London Pride this weekend.

The performance is all the more poignant for being recorded in memory of New London Synagogue’s late chazan, Stephen Cotsen, a beloved figure who helped the congregation become a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ Jews.

The Yigdal setting is paired with a new recording of Hashkiveinu, sung to the tune of Somewhere Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz. Performed by NLS cantorial leads David Djemal and Yoav Oved, with Joseph Finlay on piano, the tracks have been shared on YouTube as a “celebration of queer Jewish joy, resilience and faith”.

The latte chazan of New London Synagogue, Stephen Cotsen[Missing Credit]

While many will be familiar with hearing Adon Olam set to secular tunes, there is something wonderfully affecting about hearing sacred texts paired with two iconic queer anthems from the world of musical theatre, each penned by Jewish-American writers. La Cage aux Folles, a musical about a middle-aged gay couple meeting the ultra-conservative family of their daughter-in-law-to-be, was composed by New York-born Jerry Herman, while Somewhere Over the Rainbow was co-written by Harold Arlen, the son of a cantor, and Yip Harburg.

The version of Yigdal, in particular, is intended to highlight the “deep connection between a beloved queer anthem of selfhood and pride and one of the most theologically rich poems in Jewish liturgy”.

A third recording of Adon Olam to the tune of Israel’s Eurovision entry, A New Day Will Rise, will be released this week.

Explaining the process behind the recordings, Israeli-born Djemal told the JC that, when he was a teenager growing up queer, “finding a space that was Jewishly observant, spiritual, inclusive and egalitarian all at the same time was very challenging”.

“Growing up queer in a Modern-Orthodox community in Jerusalem, it always felt as if I had to choose one part of my identity over the other, always checking one part of myself or another at the door of any room I entered,” he added.

Working on this project, he said, he was shaped “by asking myself the question of what I needed to see and feel from synagogues when I was growing up and often didn't”.

He credited Cotsen and NLS’ current leadership for creating an environment where LGBTQ+ Jews feel fully welcomed.

“New London Synagogue aims to let you walk through the door with your whole self, and this is exemplified by the leadership of Rabbi Jeremy and Rabbi Natasha, in the legacy of Chazan Stephen Cotsen of blessed memory – who shared elements of my journey but faced even greater challenges in the 1970s than I did 10 to 15 years ago – and in the cantorial vision Yoav and I strive to bring to life, as seen by projects such as these,”Djemal said.

Yoav Oved added: “It is a privilege and an honour to be part of creating a world that doesn't force you to choose between being religious and being queer.”

He recalled arriving at NLS and finding a Pride Shabbat in the community calendar for his first weekend.

“It developed into a much anticipated Friday night, filled with LGBT anthems, over the traditional nusach [prayer melodies] of Friday night, together with the words of our long-standing liturgy.”

“We hear many of our LGBT members feel seen because it combines their Judaism and how they identity all in one place,” Oved continued.

The new recordings, which he also produced, were created in memory of Cotsen, who died in March 2025.

“Chazan Stephen for us was an encouraging figure, who loved the pulpit, singing, and all the anthems. His chuckling, encouraging looks and gentle critiques are with us every time we choose to do one thing or the other,” Oved said.

In his eulogy, NLS Rabbi Jeremy Gordon recalled how the “first chapter” of Cotsen’s communal life ended when “the closeted existence became too much”.

Once at NLS, Rabbi Gordan said Cotsen supported the synagogue “as we became more articulate about our welcome of all, regardless of sexuality, and offering same-sex weddings”.

He added that he was “not sure those steps would have happened, at least not as smoothly, without Stephen,” who he described as “gentle and forceful in equal measure, guiding us along that journey”.

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