Years after Zalman Pollack was a star of the Jewish world, his life’s work was rediscovered…
‘Toyve the Black Cantor’ and His 1930 World Tour
When celebrated African-American Yiddish soloist Thomas Larue crossed the Atlantic, he didn’t know what was in store…
These Rediscovered Melodies Survived the Holocaust. Now They’re Online
Tunes from his childhood accompanied Yitzchak Freilich through the camps and on to his new life in America. Recorded by his son, they are now online as part of the National Library of Israel collection
Jerusalem’s “Prussian Island in an Oriental Sea”
Letters from Edith Gerson-Kiwi, the Grande Dame of Israeli musicology, reveal particular and universal truths about the ‘age-old capital of the world’
A Tango in Auschwitz
“I’m still young, I want to live”; even in their darkest hour, the prisoners of the Nazi camps wrote songs of hope
The Chad Gadya Melody That Survived the Holocaust
Shmuel Blasz was murdered at Auschwitz, but the original melody he wrote for the beloved Passover song lives on
The Composer Who Angered the President of Israel
Andre Hajdu, one of the greatest and most groundbreaking composers in Israeli history, a recipient of the Israel Prize, was not popular with everyone…
The Story of the Chanukah Classic “I Have a Little Dreidel”
The classic song about the traditional four-sided top has become a staple in early childhood Jewish education.
The Majesty and Mystery of Kol Nidre
Learn how a traditional Jewish prayer melody inspired everyone – from classical composers to filmmakers to psychedelic rock bands.
Is the Shofar Really the Voice of God?
What is the Freudian complex behind the origins of this mysterious instrument? What is the shofar’s connection to the High Holy Days? And does it have anything to do with music?
