The eight most Jewish songs of Leonard Cohen

Perpetually dressed in a simple fedora and a well-worn Armani suit, Leonard Cohen did not look like an international pop star. He looked every bit the old man davening in Caulfield shul.

Cohen (aka Eliezer Ben Nissan) grew up deeply embedded in Jewish life: his grandfather and great-grandfather served as presidents of Shaar Hashomayim synagogue in Montreal, and his great-great-uncle, Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Cohen, was the unofficial Chief Rabbi of Canada.

Reflecting on his childhood, Cohen once remarked: “It was very Messianic. I was told I was a descendant of Aaron, the High Priest. My parents actually thought we were Kohanim, the real thing. I was expected to grow into manhood leading other men … In some part of my young soul, I took that very seriously.”

For many Jews, listening to Cohen’s music feels so familiar it's like catching up with an old friend. Many of his lyrics quote Jewish texts or use Jewish stories. I grew up in a synagogue where he was regularly quoted in the Dvar Torah (sermon). 

As his 10th Yahrzeit approaches, here are eight classics unpacked for their Jewish references and meanings. 

Cohen likely first heard the psalm on which this song is based in synagogue, as a prayer packed with praise and filled with certainty about God’s might.

Cohen’s 1984 version strips away the glorifying adjectives and embeds “but” in every verse, reflecting his complex relationship with faith and organised religion.

The song centres on King David, who delighted angels playing his harp at night yet sinned egregiously when he saw Bathsheba bathing on a roof, committing adultery and orchestrating her husband's death. This led to disastrous rebellions, personal tragedy, and a fractured kingdom. Cohen, who suffered from deep depression, strongly identified with David as a fellow musician: when failure strikes and nothing makes sense, all that remains is to offer up praise.