[6] Her work was inspired by such diverse sources as Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary and a number of other folk music artists.

[7] While Friedman was being commissioned by Chicago Sinai, she produced three large-scale works between 1972 and 1975 that reflected liberal Judaism's demographic and liturgical transitions.

"[5][9] According to Cantor Harold Messinger of Beth Am Israel in Penn Valley, Pennsylvania, "Debbie was the first, and every contemporary hazzan, song leader, and layperson who values these concepts is in her debt.

From age five, she was raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she received choral training with her high school's chamber choir and song-leading lessons with her NoFTY youth group.

[14] The story of her music, as well as the challenges she faced in living with illness, were featured in a 2004 documentary film about Friedman called A Journey of Spirit, produced by Ann Coppel, which followed her from 1997 to 2002.

[19][20] In 2014, the book Sing Unto God: The Debbie Friedman Anthology was published, featuring a comprehensive collection of her music.

(Eglash 2013, p. viii)[22] Friedman ultimately wanted to strengthen Jewish life by leveraging her unique philosophy of music as an immediate spiritual experience.

[7] Among her music that remains the most sung in North American Jewish communities include her Mi Shebeirach (co-written with her partner Drorah Setel),[23][24] "Miriam's Song" and her Havdalah melody.