#jewish music

My latest #JewishMusicWeek video is UP! Check out this interview with the #MIRTrio’s Rachael Kerr - https://youtu.be/3djbY2K_Rog

The group will be performing next Friday, live on @classicalfm!

I still can’t believe I did an interview at the #fourseasons Centre!

#jewishmusicweek2019 #jewishmusicweekintoronto #interview — view on Instagram http://bit.ly/2JAhMt7

The MIR Trio will be performing live on The New Classical FM on Friday, May 31st as part of Jewish Music Week in Toronto 2019. This is a free event, but it requires tickets. Find show info and get your tickets at http://bit.ly/2wgRHGH I had the pleasure of sitting down with Rachael Kerr of the MIR Trio, in the Karen Kain Dance Studio at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts no less, to talk about the group’s mission, their music, and their upcoming show for Jewish Music Week! Learn more about the MIR Trio at https://www.mirtrio.com Learn more about Jewish Music Week in Toronto 2019 at http://bit.ly/2WZeouD Help support the channel at http://bit.ly/2EMVXE0! Even a buck a month helps! Shop JMT merch at http://bit.ly/2WYahPu (.com in the States) Enjoy, share, and, if you haven’t already, Subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/user/JewishMusicToronto?sub_confirmation=1 Find me on: Facebook - http://bit.ly/2ELBDSO Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/jewishmusicto Instagram - http://bit.ly/2EMVXUw Tumblr - http://bit.ly/2EPNwau Jewish Music Toronto is produced by Eli Green, from Toronto, Ontario, and is working to build a database of Jewish music, and to showcase Judaism and Jewish Toronto. Thanks to Alex Wolfe for his technical help! #JewishMusicWeek #JewishMusicWeek2019 by Jewish Music Toronto

Daniel Kahn and The Painted Bird will be performing at Lula Lounge on Thursday, May 30th as part of Jewish Music Week in Toronto 2019. Find show info and get your tickets at http://bit.ly/2EnKjxC I got to speak with Daniel over Skype from Berlin, before he left for the band’s North American tour. We chatted about their music, the band’s political bent, and how the two come together. We also chatted briefly about the band’s latest album, The Butcher’s Share. Learn more about Jewish Music Week in Toronto 2019 at http://bit.ly/2WZeouD Help support the channel at http://bit.ly/2EMVXE0! Even a buck a month helps! Enjoy, share, and, if you haven’t already, Subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/user/JewishMusicToronto?sub_confirmation=1 Shop JMT merch at http://bit.ly/2WYahPu (.com in the States) Find me on: Facebook - http://bit.ly/2ELBDSO Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/jewishmusicto Instagram - http://bit.ly/2EMVXUw Tumblr - http://bit.ly/2EPNwau Jewish Music Toronto is produced by Eli Green, from Toronto, Ontario, and is working to build a database of Jewish music, and to showcase Judaism and Jewish Toronto. Thanks to Alex Wolfe for his technical help! by Jewish Music Toronto

I Got All Dressed Up for This One

In case you missed it, my latest Passover Seder song lesson video is up and ready for you!

Let me know what you think of it, and my costume work!

#PassoverIsComing

THISis my real-time Top Ten videos being watched on my channel right now.

Can you find the theme? :p

Pretty interesting that my Doctor Strange 4DX video is so popular that it’s still in there! You can catch my Passover lesson and sing-along videos at:

Lessons
Sing-Alongs

Happy Passover! Chag Kasher V’Sameach!

Two-Shekel Swing will be performing at the Bernard Betel Centre on Tuesday, May 28th as part of Jewish Music Week in Toronto 2019. Find show info and get your tickets at http://bit.ly/2QoUE10 The band has been kind enough to share one of their original songs, “Seven Shekel Swing”, off their new album, Pocket Change Two-Shekel Swing is a Klezmer and Gypsy jazz band based out of Boston, MA. This is a free show, but requires tickets, so follow the link above for more info! Learn more about Two-Shekel Swing at http://bit.ly/2wozXsV Learn more about Jewish Music Week in Toronto 2019 at http://bit.ly/2WZeouD Help support the channel at http://bit.ly/2EMVXE0! Even a buck a month helps! Shop JMT merch at http://bit.ly/2WYahPu (.com in the States) Enjoy, share, and, if you haven’t already, Subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/user/JewishMusicToronto?sub_confirmation=1 Find me on: Facebook - http://bit.ly/2ELBDSO Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/jewishmusicto Instagram - http://bit.ly/2EMVXUw Tumblr - http://bit.ly/2EPNwau Jewish Music Toronto is produced by Eli Green, from Toronto, Ontario, and is working to build a database of Jewish music, and to showcase Judaism and Jewish Toronto. Thanks to Alex Wolfe for his technical help! Music by Yoni Avi Battat The Band: Yoni Avi Battat - Violin Adam Shapiro - Guitar David Chevan - Bass Jesse Chevan - Drums Recorded at Firehouse 12 Studios - New Haven, CT Greg DiCrosta - Engineer Overdubs Recorded at Q Division Studios - Somerville, MA Joel Edinberg - Engineer Editing, Mixing and Mastering by Joel Edinberg Videography by Jay Miles, Edited by Yoni Battat #JewishMusicWeek #JewishMusicWeek2019 #TwoShekelSwing #Klezmer #Jazz by Jewish Music Toronto

mishpacha:

A-WA just released a new song which is a commentary on Mizrahi immigration to early Israel and y’all should listen to it.

Motty Steinmetz, Malchus Choir and Hamenagnim: “Aneinu”- what we said during selichos erev Rosh Hashana. A Shana tova v'kesiva v'chasima tova!

May Hashem answer our prayers and usher in the geulah sheleimah very soon!

עננו ה’ עננו
עננו אלוקינו עננו
עננו אבינו עננו
עננו בוראנו עננו
עננו גואלנו עננו
עננו דורשנו עננו
עננו הקאל הנאמן עננו
עננו ותיק וחסיד עננו
עננו זך וישר עננו
עננו חי וקים עננו
עננו טוב ומטיב עננו
עננו יודע יצר עננו

Answer us, Hashem, answer us.
Answer us, our G-d, answer us.
Answer us, Our Father, answer us.
Answer us, our Redeemer, answer us.
Answer us, You who searches us out, answer us.
Answer us, the One who is faithful, answer us.
Answer us, steadfast and kind one, answer us.
Answer us, pure and upright One, answer us.
Answer us, living and everlasting One, answer us.
Answer us, good and benevolent one, answer us.
Answer us, He who knows the yetzer, answer us. 

The rumor is no more.  Motty Steinmetz’ debute album has finally been released. אילו כבר לא שמועות. זהו התקציר של 12 הלהיטים שהולכים ללוות אותנו בשנים הקרובות. מיקס משירי האלבום החדש של מוטי שטיינמץ ״הנשמה בקרבי״. תהנו: 

Here is a summary of the 12 hits that will accompany us in the upcoming years, a mix of the songs from the new album from Motty Steinmetz, called “Haneshama B'Kirbi.” Enjoy!

 לקנית האלבום החדש היכנסו 

Here’s A link To Buy The New Album “Haneshama Bekirbi” By Motty Steinmetz 

Mostly Music: https://mostlymusic.com/collections/a… 

Nigun Music: https://www.nigunmusic.com/haneshama-…

As my followers already noticed I ב"ה don’t really have much time for Tumblr anymore. But still I’d like to wish all my followers a גמר חתימה טובה and a גוט געבעבענטשט יאהר. May this year be a good, happy and healthy one, with all our needs beings fulfilled. May 5778 be the sweetest year ever; of yeshuos and simchas, and a שמחה שלמה with which we will be able to serve Hashem and bring the גאולה שלמה
.במהרה בימינו, אמן

The Eibishter should open all the gates of Heaven for you and all of Klal Yisroel and be קבל ברחמים וברצון את תפילתנו; if not in our merit, He should at least answer us in the zchus of the Bris Avrohom (covenant of Avraham).

זכור ברית אברהם ועקידת יצחק והשב שבות אהלי יעקב והושיענו למען שמך ואין לנו שיור רק התורה הזאת ושוב ברחמים על שארית ישראל והושיענו למען שמך (תפילת נעילה ליוה"כ)

[Remember the covenant of Abraham and the sacrifice of Isaac and return the exiled tents of Jacob and redeem us for the sake of Your Name We have nothing left besides this Torah And return with mercy to the remnants of Israel and redeem us for the sake of Your Name - (Neila prayer of Yom Kippur)].

bennistar:

Motty Steinmetz and Neranenu Choir singing “להיות עיניך פתוחות“ composed by Zvi Weintraub.

להיות עיניך פתוחות אל-הבית הזה לילה ויום אל המקום אשר אמרת יהיה שמי שם לשמוע אל התפילה אשר יתפלל עבדך אל המקום הזה

May Your eyes be open towards this house [by] night and [by] day, towards the place of which You said, “My Name will be there” to listen to the tefilah that Your servant will pray towards this place.

- Melachim I 8.29

makingqueerhistory:

Salim Halali

[Image Description: a black and white photo of Salim Halali, an Algerian-Turkish man wearing a suit with a white flower and bow tie and a fez.]

The life story of Salim Halali is one with countless branches. His experiences as a gay Jewish man in Paris in the 1930’s are as eventful as one would imagine, and his music career is not only well known but well remembered, what with being crowned the “King of Shaabi” at the height of his popularity. He lived just as extravagantly behind closed doors, often throwing lavish parties with his two pet tigers. There’s much to be said of his storied life. (Read full article)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAIsCq6y3Ko

The cool thing here isn’t the particular song.  It’s Tanchum Portnoy’s “Etz Chayim Hi,” a pretty popular melody in a lot of Anglophone synagogues.  The cool thing is who’s singing it.  The women in this video are a mix of ordained cantors, largely American, from the American Conference of Cantors (the Reform cantorial organization, although there are cantors from other movements who have ACC memberships) and Women of the Wall.

The Western Wall in Jerusalem used to be called the Wailing Wall, and it’s as close as we’re ever going to get to the old Temple.  It’s not even a wall of the Temple itself; it’s a portion of an old retaining wall built around the Temple.  But even in a religion that sanctifies time much more than it does space, the Western Wall is a special place to pray.  This is the wall where people go with little slips of paper with prayers on them to push into the cracks between stones, as close as you can get to Divine special delivery.

The Western Wall is also a synagogue of sorts, and as such, it’s controlled by an Israeli agency, and that agency is super Orthodox.  The main plaza in front of the wall is divided by a mechitza, and the men’s space takes up three quarters of the area, while the women only get a teeny little area.  In addition, while private prayer is allowed to everyone, only Orthodox public worship is officially allowed there.  What about Reform or Conservative groups who want to come to the holiest Jewish place to pray, and bring a female service leader to sing or read from the Torah?  Tough titties.  You Can’t Do That.

Enter Women of the Wall.  This organization was founded in 1988 to campaign for the right of women to sing, pray, wear kippah and tallit, and read from the Torah at the Western Wall.  They have a service there about once a month, and they endure unbelievable abuse – like, Orthodox groups go down there with busloads of boys from religious schools to yell at them, spit on them, throw chairs at them, or throw hot liquids on them.  These are assaults on women’s voices, women’s bodies, and women’s prayers, and also on the general concept of non-Orthodox Jewish movements that have women religious leaders.

Israel is, in general, not terribly friendly to non-Orthodox Judaism … but a bunch of other countries are.  And these other countries – mostly the US, but a few other places, too – regularly send various groups to sing with and support the Women of the Wall.  It’s about supporting women and, through that, the diversity of Jewish practice.  That’s what’s happening here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcYPmWspkCM

Yes, Virginia, there is a Jewish community in Cameroon!  It’s called Beth Yeshouroun.  It’s not a large community, but it exists.  What’s interesting to me is that they appear to follow the Abayudaya in how they came to be a Jewish community in Africa.

Beth Yeshouroun is a relatively new community, founded in 1998 by leaders who were starting to turn away from Christianity – rather like Semei Kakungulu did in Uganda in 1919.  Like the Abayudaya, the members of Beth Yeshouroun started their Jewish journey all on their own.  Unlike the Abayudaya, they had the internet to help!  They also had Kulanu, an organization devoted specifically to supporting isolated, emerging, and returning global Jewish communities.  Kulanu sponsored Rabbis Bonita and Gerald Sussman to visit Beth Yeshouroun in 2010.  This is the community singing “Lecha Dodi” to them at their official farewell concert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBVdE1leTtI

This is a song for very small children, and the message is maybe a little bit obvious if you’re over the age of, say, five.  But there is something charming about it.  Shavuot, of course, is the holiday where we 1. pull an all-nighter studying, 2. read the Book of Ruth, 3. celebrate the Divine gift of the Torah, and 4. eat All The Dairy, despite a rather unfortunate Ashkenazi trend toward being lactose intolerant.

You hear a lot of Shavuot songs and stories about Ruth, about the Torah, even about cheesecake … but I think this is the first song I’ve ever seen that was about Mt. Sinai itself!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZpetwEENuY

Sometimes, when you rescue a puppy, you get a loving, loyal friend.  And sometimes, when you rescue a puppy, you get a COMRADE IN THE REVOLUTION.  Labzik is not only a Good Boy, he is Revolutionary.  As the YouTube description for this video explains:

“Adapted from a book of children’s stories by Yiddish author Chaver Paver, Labzik: Tales of a Clever Pup follows the (mis)adventures of a clever mutt named Labzik and the working-class Jewish family that adopts him. Balancing playful humor with gritty realism, the stories find Labzik and the other residents of the Bronx up against social and political forces that are no less relevant today: unemployment, political protest, racism, police brutality, even an airborne disease. The bilingual Yiddish-English short film is produced in cinematic "miniature theater” style, employing lavishly illustrated paper puppets (performed by Krakovsky and built by designer Ryan Bradburn) to evoke the ink illustrations of the 1935 original. A cast of both student and professional voice actors bring the characters and stories to life, including award-winning Yiddish actor Shane Baker. Featuring original music from Klezmer greats Michael Winograd and Jake Shulman-Ment, and singing by Lisa Fishman and Mikhl Yashinsky of off-Broadway’s Fidler afn Dakh (Yiddish Fiddler on the Roof) and Lorin Sklamberg of Grammy award-winning klezmer band The Klezmatics.“

The song uses the classic Yiddish lullaby melody of “Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen,” if you’re wondering why it sounds familiar …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELSzyshATbE

A new commission for Pride Month!  It’s simple, but the message is powerful, and I love that it’s the kind of thing that the congregation can pick up easily.  Maybe it’s a bit too simple with one voice and a guitar.  But a whole congregation singing that we are made in the Divine image, calling and responding, harmonizing, throwing arms around each other, making music together?  That’s what this piece is made for, and that’s where its power is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNza_pXrrEs

I just heard a very cool talk about this!  This is one of Leonard Bernstein’s lesser-known piano works.  And by “lesser known,” I mean that there are serious Bernstein scholars out there who don’t know that this suite exists.  The four movements are very short, and they all have names.  Ilana the dreamer, Idele the Chassidele, Yosi the jokester, and Dinah, the tomboy who weeps alone.

The person giving the talk suggests that these four movements are in fact short musical sketches of Bernstein’s family.  Ilana the dreamer is his sister Shirley, the somewhat forgotten middle child; Idele the Chassidele is his father Sam (who was never able to follow in his own father’s footsteps and become a rabbi, but was highly learned and apt to quote the Talmud at any and all occasions); Yosi the jokester is his brother Burt, who was the youngest child and, in fact, a jokester; Dinah the tomboy who weeps alone is his mother Jennie who loved dancing and being in society and was terribly matched with Sam.  Interestingly, Dinah is the real name of Bernstein’s paternal grandmother; if this thesis is correct, Jennie’s portrait is listed under her mother-in-law’s name.

There’s relatively little direct evidence of this relationship other than that the character of the pieces, as well as some notes that Bernstein put into the Idele and Dinah movements, matches the personalities and dynamics of these family members really really well.  Either way, it was an interesting talk, and a chance to hear a lovely short bit of Bernstein’s work that few people know about.