Yom Kippur

Cohen's performances, his state of mind, and the harsh realities of the Yom Kippur War are the subject of Matti Friedman's recent book, “Who By Fire.”

And there can be no question that Cohen’s song “Who By Fire,” his take on the Unetaneh Tokef, comes out of his Yom Kippur War experience. The song “Lover, Lover, Lover” comes out of the war concerts. Cohen was known to many Israelis. His songs “Suzanne” and “Bird on a Wire” were familiar to them and many young women had Cohen’s early albums. “Who will live and who will die … who by fire, who by water.” The Book of Jonah and the priestly blessing, when those members of the priestly tribe—the Cohanim (to which Leonard Cohen belonged)—bless their community also link Cohen inextricably with Yom Kippur. And, courtesy of the Cohen family, Friedman delved into the pocket notebooks that Cohen carried with him throughout his career. Most of the concerts were informal and intimate, with soldiers sometimes departing for battle after listening to songs performed by Cohen and the Israeli music artists.