In this episode, Sarah Bunin Benor interviews Asher Shasho Levy, a Syrian Jewish musician based in San Francisco, where he is the hazan and musical director at The Kitchen, a progressive Jewish community. He's also the leader of the Aram Soba ensemble, a group dedicated to the musical heritage of Syrian Jewry.

Heritage Words - conversations about the words we inherit and the meaning they bring to our lives - is produced by the HUC Jewish Language Project and HUC Connect.

Host and executive producer: Sarah Bunin Benor

Producers and editors: Kyle Fingerhut, Avishay Artsy

Video editor: Annabel Noar

Editorial consultants: Annabel Noar, Hannah Pressman

Theme music: Maurice El Medioni’s French and Algerian Judeo-Arabic album “Cafe Oran,” featuring the Klezmatics’ David Krakauer and Frank London, courtesy of Piranha Records.