Current Practices
The tradition of waking up before dawn and singing the Baqashot still survives today in Jerusalem, in the Ades Synagogue in Nachlaot and the Moussaiof synagogue in the Bukharan quarter. The service is held only in the winter months, starting with the night of Shabbat Noach (the second Sabbath after Simchat Torah).
In communities throughout the world not so committed to the idea of waking up before dawn, the Baqashot melodies, or sometimes the actual songs, are still sung either in the course of the prayers or casually on certain occasions.
In some settings, the honor of singing the Kaddish goes to the highest bidder.
Refreshments, such as tea or arrak, are often served during the services.
In Turkey the equivalent tradition is known as "Shirat Hamaftirim", and the songs are performed by choirs of "maftirim". The music and style of singing are based on Sufi and Ottoman classical music. This tradition originated in Adrianople (present-day Edirne) in European Turkey. The tradition persists and is practised to this day in Istanbul.
Read more about this topic: Baqashot
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