His father, rabbi Moshe ben Levi Najara, was born in Salonica, Greece, and in his later years moved with his family to Safed and was involved with the kabbalistic circles of the Arizal.
[4] After an attack on the Jews of Safed by an Arabic tribe in 1579, Najara left with his family and settled in Jobar on the outskirts of Damascus, where he served as a sofer and rabbi.
As may be seen from his works, he was a versatile scholar, and he corresponded with many contemporary rabbis, among others with Bezaleel Ashkenazi, Yom-Ṭob Ẓahalon, Moses Hamon, and Menahem Ḥefeẓ.
While still young he composed many hymns, to Arabic and Turkish tunes, with the intention, as he says in the preface to his Zemirot Yisrael, of turning the Jewish youth from profane songs.
[9] This edition contains the Meme Yisrael and the Mesaḥeḳet ha-Tebel additions, and is divided into three parts: Many of Najara's piyyuṭim and hymns have been taken into the rituals and maḥzorim in use among the Jews in different countries, especially in Italy and Israel.
At least 26 compositions by Najara are part of the Moroccan baqashot canon, and roughly 8 of the 66 Syrian baqashot were composed by Najara (יאמר נא ישראל, ימותי כלו כצבאות, אנא הושע מאור עיני, אשיר עז, יודוך רעיוני, יה אלה מלכות, יה רבון עלם, יוםליום אודה).
[12] The best known of his hymns are Yah Ribbon 'Alam (יה רבון עלם) recited on the Sabbath by the Jews of various countries, as well as Yodukha Ra'ayonay (יודוך רעיוני) and Yarhiq Nedod (ירחיק נדוד).
The Shibḥei Ḥayyim Viṭal[14] contains a violent attack (accusations included: use of foul language, being a drunkard, homosexuality, and sexual relations with non-Jewish women)[15] by Hayyim Vital upon a poet whose name is not mentioned, but whom some take to be Israel Najara.
Najara's piyyuṭim were praised also by Leon of Modena, who composed a song in his honor, which was printed at the beginning of the Olat Shabbat, the second part of the Zemirot Yisrael.