David Berman (Silver Jews, Purple Mountains) Dead at 52
David Berman, the poet and songwriter known for his projects Silver Jews and Purple Mountains, has died. Drag City confirmed the news; his cause of death has not been confirmed. He was 52 years old.
Berman formed Silver...
“Oyfn vegh shteit a boym”, lullaby in Yiddish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os5UeFjBFTs
On the way stands a tree
He stands grown
All birds from the tree
Went up and flown
Three turn to the west, three to the east
And the rest to South
And the tree was left alone
Vacant for the...
Jewish Bucket List: Yiddish Immersion
The stage was set. The musicians played. The featured performer read Yiddish poems accompanied by klezmer music. The crowd was excited. I was, too. The whole experience gave off the vibe of being in...
July 24: Abraham Goldfaden, the “father of modern Yiddish theater,” was born in Russia
Abraham Goldfaden, the “father of modern Yiddish theater,” was born in Russia (today’s Ukraine) on this date in 1840. Goldfaden was a poet in Hebrew and Yiddish, many of whose poems were set to...
History and Origins of Sephardic Music
Sephardic music is thought to have originated from the Jewish population living in medieval Spain and Portugal. Following their expulsion from Spain and Portugal in 1492 and 1496, respectively, the Sephardic Jews spread across...
Yiddish Summer Weimar 2019. The Weimar Republic of Yiddishland July 12 – August 17
Registration for Yiddish Summer Weimar workshops is open and advance ticket sales have begun!
In 2019 we recognize the 100th anniversary of the beginnings of the Weimar Republic. To celebrate the almost unimaginable outpouring of...
The forgotten Jewish-themed jazz tunes
Jews have been involved in the growth and development of almost every mainstream musical genre. Direct references to Jewish themes and culture, however, have mostly been reserved for Jewish and Israeli music. Then again,...
Cantorial Jewels, by Richard Tucker
Richard Tucker was unquestionably America’s greatest tenor. As with many of his contemporaries, the Second World War gave him the opportunity to establish himself in this country, and for the next quarter of a...
TICO features works of Dvorak, Alfven, Stern
David Amos did unusual programming at TICO’s recent concert at Tifereth Israel Synagogue by opening with the longest work of the evening, Dvorak’s New World Symphony. However, the orchestra musicians seemed warmed up enough...
Duo bring the songs of Calcutta to Jewish Music Week
Unlike many Jews around the world, the 5,000 or so who lived in Calcutta up until India won its independence from Britain in 1947, were part of a tolerant society.
The auspicious situation the Jews...