http://www.milkenarchive.org

When massive immigration from Europe in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries brought millions of Jews to American shores, these “new” attitudes toward music came along.  And as the Jews prospered, so, too, did their music.  In American Reform congregations, synagogue choirs sang newly composed music on a regular basis. Orthodox synagogues continued (to this day) to reject the notion of accompanied rituals, but music flourished there, too, during what became known as a “Golden Age of Hazzanut” (cantorial chant).  Virtuoso cantors accompanied by choirs of men and boys inspired great devotion in the throngs who marveled in their spiritual labors in the synagogue. The new recording industry took full advantage of the popularity of cantorial music, turning gifted liturgical singers into overnight sensations every bit as popular as the actors whose names were emblazoned on the marquees of the Yiddish theaters.

The Jewish musical feasting available to early 20^th century listeners never turned quite to auditory famine, but the menu of music available to connoisseurs underwent a substantial change as the new immigrants gradually assimilated American cultural styles and liturgical practices.  Still, the music we hear today bears the spiritual stamp of generations past who sought to infuse the richness of Jewish music into their lives.  Whether it is the melodies of Shlomo Carlebach chanted in today’s Modern Orthodox minyanim or the popularity of the guitar-accompanied niggunim that begin services in liberal synagogues, the spiritual values of Hassidic music continue to play a role across the denominational spectrum.  At the same time, composed music, by contemporary singer-songwriters, offer a rich menu of selections for liturgical offerings as well as concerts and recordings. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, you can sample the vast variety of domestic and even international offerings on websites for every taste.

There are still moments of musical famine on the Jewish calendar.  In traditional communities, the introspective seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot are a period marked by a lull in public musical performances.  The three weeks leading to Tisha B’Av, the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple, are also marked by an absence of music from daily life and communal celebration.  But these brief periods of abstinence are just an opportunity for us to regain our appetites for the smorgasbord of Jewish music that awaits us as we turn the page of the calendar.  Happy are we, in the 21^st century, for whom there is no end to the delights of Jewish music.

For more information on Jewish music, check out the following sites:

• The Milken Archive of American Jewish Music: http://www.milkenarchive.org
• Judaica Sound Archives: http://faujsa.fau.edu/jsa
• The Educational Program on Yiddish Culture (EPYC): http://epyc.yivo.org/main.php?uid=3
• The American Society for Jewish Music: http://jewishmusic-asjm.org
• Teruah-Jewish Music: http://teruah-jewishmusic.blogspot.com
• Lishmoa: http://lishmoa.org
• Jewish Music WebCenter: http://www.jmwc.org

Dr. Marsha Bryan Edelman is Professor Emerita of Music and Education at Gratz College.  A musician herself, active as a singer, conductor, arranger and producer, she has also served the Zamir Choral Foundation in a variety of musical and administrative capacities since 1971. Marsha has taught and lectured on a variety of topics relating to the nature and history of Jewish music for nearly 40 years, and published a long list of articles and program notes for concerts and recordings and recordings, including a highly regarded book, Discovering Jewish Music (Jewish Publication Society 2003; paper 2007).