Syrian Jewry especially the community of Aleppo (Aram Zova) has a long tradition of appreciating Torah, music and liturgy. The community did not listen to the songs of local musicians as witnessed by R. Abraham Antebbi in his book Ohel Yesharim, instead they chanted the melodies of the Great Jewish poets like R. Judah ha-Levy, Ibn Ezra, etc. Syrian Rabbis also wrote their own hymns, many of them masterpieces. A beautiful custom of the ancient Jewish Syrian community, which is still in effect today in many Syrian synagogues throughout the world, on the Shabbat a group of holy people would wake up in middle of the night go to the synagogue and sing the Bakashot until dawn, the holiness and splendor of this act is felt even today by all its participants. R. Mordechai Abadi in Sha'ar haShir tells writes that the Saintly R. M. Lobaton would interrupt his learning to participate in the singing of Bakashot.