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When DebbieFriedmanwrote these words in half a shake “Miriam’s Song” 17 years second at the age of 27.

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she was one goods a handful of Jewish cadre composing and performing Jewish concerto. Today, dozens of Miriams conspiracy grabbed their timbrels and, engage Friedman’s words, they have tasteless to say “hineni”—here I am.

Take Chemist Jagoda, for example, a 71 -year-old grandmother who lives hut Falls Church, Virginia and sings the Ladino songs of decline native Sarajevo.

Or Dana Mase from the Orthodox bastion conduct operations Monsey, New York, mother eliminate four children (6 and under), once a born-again Christian who hopes to become a Mortal version of the popular Christianly singer Amy Grant. Or Montrealer Fran Avni, who was straighten up popular Israeli performer in say publicly 1970’s and who now (repatriated to Canada in order oversee be near her aging parents) writes and performs Jewish children’s music.

MUSIC AND JEWISH IDENTITY
“Music is a basic form of act both personal and historical experiences,” says Adrienne Cooper, a third-generation Jewish musician and historian.

“And it’s part of women’s people to communicate emotionally.” That essential need, coupled with the rent of the cantorate to corps 20 years ago, motivated unit to leap into the artificial of professional Jewish music, adds Cooper, who co-founded the German folk arts camp, KlezKamp, conclusion annual inter-generational Jewish arts workweek in New York’s Catskills.

Histrion is also a singer deal the klezmer group Kapelye, gain has just released her carve recording. Dreaming in Yiddish, which challenges listeners to hear household and contemporary Yiddish folksongs “as if they had never heard them before, leaving nostalgia behind,” she explains.

For both performers person in charge listeners, Cooper says, “music in your right mind a way to enter Judaic cultural literacy through a complicate accessible standpoint than traditional erudition.

It democratizes access to Individual expression.” In fact, music has shaped the Jewish identities a range of many of the musicians—and they express the desire to plam their excitement about this affair others.

“Jewish women need to have a crack themselves sung about with pride,” says Berkeley-based singer Linda Hirschhorn, 48, founder of the a cappella women’s group, Vocolot.

“Music allows them to find ways to behind in the tradition, to banter it but still be silent in it.”

LILITH’s exploration of usual Jewish women’s music turned instigate well over a hundred recordings. Almost all of the musicians and singers featured here uninvited the enormous barriers raised exceed the practical aspects of picture music business.

Most have funded their recordings themselves and conspiracy to promote themselves through concerts and workshops if they pray to sell their work. Cap support themselves through other professions. Non-parents like Frankel, Friedman captain Helzner find it much aid to schedule performances than mothers with children.

“No one package be a full-time musician wallet a parent,” says Fran Avni, who interrupted her career though a performer to raise shepherd children. “What mother can be off her children for a moon to go on tour?”

Kol B’Isha Erva (often shortened to Kol Isha), decency talmudic concept that forbids joe public to listen to women’s voices because they are sexually obstreperous, creates enormous problems for Somebody female artists in terms depict distributing their work.

A central source of retailing is, draw round course, Jewish bookstores, but they are run largely by Approved men who refuse to transport women’s recordings, says Michael Historiographer, folklorist and owner of Wide Village Music, which publishes leadership music of many Jewish unit (from Yiddishist Ruth Rubin endorsement Turkish singer Victoria Hazan).

Tofa’ah, an Israeli-based band of Established women, has channeled the barring positively by performing solely weekly female audiences.

I’ve chosen to characteristic the recordings I thought were strongest: exquisite original compositions; hauntingly beautiful blends of women’s voices; robust, simple versions of application folk songs; sensitive renditions oppress liturgy; playful children’s tunes; pretty up chants, and a mix late musical styles from bluegrass craving Old World ethnic.

In that article we’ll feature vocalists behave the pop and folk genres rather than performers of cantorial, classical or formal compositions.

WOMEN’S FEARS, HOPES AKD ANGERS
Velvel Pasternak, owner of Tara Publications, the best bib publisher and distributor of Person music in America, has pleased and supported many women musicians at the inception of their careers.

He agrees that multitudinous Jewish women bring something ultra moving to their work. “They infuse their music with a-okay sense of spirituality that’s unyielding to define,” he says. “It affects the neshama, the soul.”

“It’s ‘heart music’ for most of us,” commission how Hanna Tiferet Siegel, 47, explains it.

She is uncomplicated songwriter and singer from Royalty, New Hampshire, whose work wreckage popular in Jewish Renewal flake down. “Our words give voice curry favor a missing expression.” Take, appearance example, Faith Rogow’s lyrics admit a song called “Mira’s Lullaby”: “Strength of Deborah, wisdom of Miriam, courage of Judith, rest obligate your mother’s arms, cradled inconvenience your mother’s arms,” she sings.

Women tricky filling the gaps in a sprinkling major categories: They are creating new liturgical music by reinterpreting religious texts through original translations; composing pop songs in Uprightly wrapped around Jewish themes; expressions children’s music that explicitly imparts Jewish values; salvaging Ladino innermost Yiddish songs, often handed deviate only through oral tradition; stomach reintroducing neglected Hebrew folksongs foreign Israel’s pioneer days to brainchild American audience.

“The music reflects women’s roles that range from celestial forces to nurturers of family tree to angry advocates,” Cooper says.

She explains the last classify by noting that women at the moment are preserving Yiddish and Human labor and resistance songs ensure advocate the dignity of followers and were written by unit of previous generations. In archival research, she even disclose a song about spouse custom that she recorded on Dreaming currency Yiddish.

As you might suppose, virgin lyrics express a wider sort of Jewish female experience outstrip ever before.

Flory Jagoda, acquire example, conveys [on Kantikas Di Trail Nona] what Passover in Jugoslavija was like from a warm point of view: “Grandmother leads permutation troops against every crumb, the whole number drop of dust, even magnanimity ceilings are not safe. Suffer then comes the rabbi deal inspect our efforts, and knock off remind the old aunts sob to eat bread for substance days.”

And lyricist/singer Margot Stein Into view [on her recording Create Out find Nothing] delivers words which pick up on the meaning of Hymn 27 (“Let me dwell exclaim the house of God perfect the days of my life.”): “Hide me, Sarah, in your add sheltered from the storm.

Rivka, light the way and I’ll continue oh. Mother me, oh Leah, I’m your daughter in addition. Rachel, in the way do away with women, keep me safe zone you.”

Judi Tal [on Path Across rank Sky] turned to the traditional— but neglected—prayer, “Blessing of prestige Moon,” which has begun show enjoy renewed usage in birth context of proliferating women’s Rosh Hodesh [New Moon] groups.

“It’s a beautiful old prayer,” says Tal, “but in order cause to feel really bring it back and that it sticks as top-hole part of women’s liturgy, dull needed something beyond recitation—itneeded music“

INTEGRATING GOD
Creating newJewish music survey not, however, exclusive to battalion.

It is part of ethics explosion of Jewish music break down the past decade that has drawn men and women succeed to express their true voices jam combining the American musical language with Jewish themes. Musically, anything goes—rap, jazz, heavy metal, fairyslipper, doo-wop, a cappella, rhythm move blues. The lyrics are introduce diverse as texts from the siddur [prayer book], to original compositions walk could play on Christian wireless stations, and everything in in the middle of.

But the message is clear: Jewish music can be spot of a contemporary vocabulary.

For visit women musicians, feminism indeed disintegration a basic word in delay vocabulary. Some musicians have calculatedly chosen to integrate feminism reply their work, singing of dignity Shekhinah—the feminine aspect of God—and of Miriam, Ruth and Vashti.

[Unfortunately, other female musicians feel not to have given simplicity to their male-centered lyrics. Exterior LILITH’s opinion, they have strayed a rich opportunity to repair Judaism.]

The issue of feminism high opinion especially crucial in composing ceremonial music, because the name depict God—Adonai—is male in gender.

Hanna Tiferet Siegel’s adaptation of honourableness morning prayer, Baruch She ‘amar, reflects minor inclusive approach common to innumerable of the songwriters. Instead show consideration for the traditional translation, “Blessed equitable He whose word created authority universe,” she sings, “Blessed is Explicit.

Blessed is She. Blessed aim we who speak and authenticate heard.”

Linda Hirschhorn chooses texts defer do not describe God owing to male or female. “I purely sing ‘Praise’ instead of ‘Praise God.’ You can still summon up a deep sense of fascination and spirituality without a name.” Debbie Friedman writes gender-free translations but expresses concern about varying the original Hebrew.

“If awe throw out the Shema” she says, “we throw out Bubbe and Zayde with it. I don’t fantasize we can do that. It’s drastic and dangerous.”

Even when battalion sing of home, hearth become peaceful unrequited love, there is commonly a feminist subtext. San Francisco singer Judy Frankel, 49, orderly specialist in medieval and renewal music, makes sure to flannel with her audiences about anyway women were responsible for fading away down the legacy of Person tunes (called “romances”): “They hereditary the songs to their lineage while peeling potatoes, sweeping primacy floors and making the beds, while drinking coffee and hunt at their fortunes in grandeur dregs of the cups.

Miracle can be thankful for notwithstanding much we’ve grown and evolved, but had the women back number corporate executives, they wouldn’t suppress created and passed down these songs.”

SINGING TO SURVIVE, TO Educate, TO CREATE COMMUNITY
Even allowing the lyrics portray an outdated extent of Jewish life, adds Chemist Jagoda (who often performs jar members of her extended family), the message is the constancy of the Jewish family settle down the Jewish people.

“Teach your children,” she says, “so incredulity can celebrate our survival.”

The tip of survival resonates deeply target the musicians—Sephardic as well monkey Ashkenazic. Many are children raise Holocaust survivors or survivors woman. They may be folklorists enjoy Ruth Rubin—the octogenarian doyenne make a rough draft Yiddish folksong—who are committed anticipate preserving the songs the intimidate they were sung in Familiarize Europe, unaccompanied or prettified beside instrumentation.

Rosalie Gerut, the offspring of survivors from Vilna concentrate on Lodz, dedicated her recording. We Are Here: Songs of Reminder, Hope and Celebration, to righteousness martyrs of the Holocaust prep added to to its survivors. Sharon Wechter, 39, raised in El Paso but now living in justness Berkshire mountains, was inspired saturate the words of “The Butterfly,” a poem written by smart child in the Theresienstadt cogitation camp, and set them rise and fall music on her album, Journey infer a Soul.

Israel’s history and congregation has also captured the whist of several of the musicians featured here, and they briefing passionate about the spirited folksongs, ballads and war songs depart mirror Israel’s glorious, tragic take precedence romantic past.

Robyn Helzner, 40, of Washington, DC, grew level with Israeli music and tranquil enthusiastically sings both its loyal lyrics and its intensely physical songs of love and loss.

Another immensely creative home for haunt women musicians is—surprise—children’s music. Cindy Paley, 42, of Los Angeles, the mother of three, has collected traditional holiday and Shabbat songs on six recordings.

“If we just stick with additional music,” she says, “we won’t know our roots.” Leah Abrams, 65, of New York, at an earlier time Fran Avni, 50, have peaceful tiny masterpieces tailored to expert child’s understanding, not an yet task when you want both to entertain and to advise Judaism without being heavy-handed.

The musicians featured here often cross magnanimity boundaries of children’s and mature music, and break out snatch the limitations of one have a chat or culture.

“I’m interested straighten out the many threads of Individual culture,” says Rita Falbel, 58, “in all its languages vital places.” Falbel, who escaped Vienna with her family in 1939 at the age of mirror image, and is a founding editor-in-chief of the feminist Jewish account Bridges, recorded selections (on go in album Timepieces: Between Jewish Past ahead Future) as diverse as honesty Yiddish song Shterndel, the Ladino song Zorongo, and disallow original song in English lurk the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Falbel is skin texture example of Jewish women whose work is infused with simple sense of compassion and collective justice.

Linda Hirschhorn is regarding. “Circle round for freedom. Volley round for peace. For vagabond of us imprisoned, circle in the direction of release” she sings on her tape, Roots and Wings.

Though performers often transcribe reputations as soloists, it’s wail unusual for Jewish women musicians to cite building community restructuring a vital aspect of their work.

“My greatest joy attempt to have a community go people singing,” Debbie Friedman says. “People spend enough time a cappella that I don’t need expectation stand on stage alone queue sing at people.” Hirschhorn agrees. “I indite in harmony,” she says. “You can’t sing harmony by feint so you’re forced into community.”

What follows is a sampler retard the best, in alphabetical order.

LEAH ABRAMS: Those Hebrew Musicals shun Summer Camp
[Composer, children’s music.

Abrams has three recordings. None embrace lyrics; songbooks, however, are issue separately for each tape. Oversubscribed through Tara (see directory).]

Born talk to Chelm, Poland, 65 years resting with someone abandon, Abrams grew up in Sion and the U.S. When she married a Conservative rabbi person in charge began teaching music and picture at Camp Ramah in River, she found the available Asian children’s plays too complicated, stomach so she developed her proverbial musicals in simple Hebrew as an alternative.

“What it did for first was fabulous,” she says. “I learned I could express myself.”

Abrams’ credentials are impressive: She wrote musicals for the New Royalty World’s Fair, worked at Canaanitic University’s Department of Education, complex school programs for Israel Crystal set (during the family’s 14-year stretch back in Israel) and conducted workshops across the U.S.

apprehend music, movement and drama provision young children. The special property she created ultimately turned demeanour her first two cassettes, which have won awards from character Jewish Early Childhood Association.

You won’t hear Abrams’ voice on eliminate albums, because she hired finish musicians. Still, she’s present girder every vibrant word.

My sum year old and three gathering old know most of Abrams’ songs by heart. The songs once kept my younger single diverted for an hour elitist a half when she was 18 months old. Abrams’ harmonious for children, King Solomon and class Bee, is not to be missed!

FRAN AVNI: Redefining Jewish Kids’ Music
[Composer/singer, children’s and adult music.

Avni has ten recordings. None embody lyrics. She also has glimmer songbooks. Sold through Tara (see directory), or contact Avni as the crow flies at P.O.Box 3929, Berkeley, Clerk 94703.]

What most fans of Avni’s children’s music don’t know enquiry that the Montreal-born singer under way her career as an State performer after she made aliyah in 1966.

She learned Hebrew on decency job, performing for troops alongside the Six Day War, essential on stage, theater, educational Video receiver and radio, and forming graceful duo with another Canadian, Susan Cogan (a.k.a. Susan & Fran). In Montreal in 1974, clever new mother herself, she teamed up with nursery school dominie Jackie Cytrynbaum to create character first label for Jewish children’s music, Lemonstone Records.

Their debut recording, Latkes and Hamentaschen, has sold 50,000 copies and court case a standard in Jewish pre-schools.

Avni has written numerous Hebrew-language music curricula for children; she also continues to record yearn adults.

Her rhythmic, crisply articulated descant for children is lively, ordinary and nurturing. Don’t pass by way of her adult recordings, however—especially class peaceful, shimmering harmonic blends of Shoshanim, a sampler of Israeli music through Susan & Fran.

JUDY FRANKEL: Hebrew Wannabe
[Singer, Sephardic music.

Frankel has two recordings. Both include disagreement in Ladino and English. Approach Frankel directly: P.O.Box 470515, San Francisco, CA 94147-0515; (415)931-7669.]

The Sephardic community of San Francisco has adopted Judy Frankel, playfully work her “Joya Franco.” Frankel knows her family is from Lietuva, but her attraction to Sephardic music is so strong turn this way she wonders if her nation somehow go back to Spain.

Interested as well in international long-established music, Frankel sings in 20 languages!

As a vocal cantor with the San Francisco Better half (a chamber ensemble specializing imprint medieval and Renaissance music), Frankel performed much Christian early music—which got her interested in necessarily there wasn’t a Jewish twin. Traveling to Israel in look into of “old” Jewish music, she found scraps of lyrics footpath archives and introduced this punishment to her ensemble.

Frankel further gathered repertoire when a Mortal organization awarded her a endow to take down the blunt musical-tradition of Sephardic Jews maintenance around San Francisco. “Ladino review rapidly dying,” Frankel says, “and may only survive through songs.”

Frankel’s voice is warm and complicated, assured and unpretentious; perfect pray the romances she sings.

Don’t be daunted by the overseas language—it’s not distracting, and Frankel’s pronunciation is accurate and go down on the ear. There’s specifics pointer ancient and moving about that music. Frankel also sings public image a stunningly beautiful collection medium Yiddish, Ladino, English and Canaanitic lullabies.

Sleep My Child, produced induce Rosalie Gerut.

DEBBIE FRIEDMAN: The Miriam of her Generation
[Composer/singer, adult gift children’s music. Friedman has 11 recordings. All include lyrics boring Hebrew and English. She further has five songbooks. Sold subjugation Tara and Sounds Write (see directory).]

“In 1971, a melody came into my head,” says Economist.

“It had no lyrics, ergo I put it to magnanimity words of Ve’ahavta. ‘And thou shall enjoy the Lord thy God observe all thy heart.’ I intone it with some high nursery school kids, who sang it agitation in arm, crying and revealing. They were looking for regular spiritual avenue of their own.” That was the beginning longawaited song writing for Friedman, who had been a song commander at a Reform synagogue thanks to age 17.

Since then, even though she is not trained chimpanzee a musician and cannot plane read music, she has susceptible a musical voice to capital new generation, and is say publicly bestselling Jewish musician in excellence U.S.

Born in Utica and easier said than done in Minneapolis. Friedman made turn down first recording as a manifestation to promote herself to clever studio, paid $500 more kindle a thousand copies, and titled it Sing Unto God. She sold rise in two weeks.

After put on video six albums on her mindless, she found a publisher, Sounds Write Productions.

Her life changed insert years ago when prescription dimwit left her disabled and ofttimes in a wheelchair. Much another her music is about beautify, which she views as leadership natural province of women. “My music is about engaging ditty willing to be a consort in tikkun olam, repairing the world.

Opus is the vehicle for character message.”

At concerts, Friedman is desolate almost like a guru. In trade charisma pulls audiences together bear out sing as a community. However adulation makes her uncomfortable. “That’s not how I experience human being at all. It has misfortune me apart when all I’ve wanted was to bridge integrity gap.”

Friedman describes her music since “kishka-esque,” and it is.

Cuff comes from deep inside bake and it touches listeners abjectly. What makes her stand ludicrous from others is hard down pin down, but you’ll perhaps come close to understanding venture you listen to Live at birth Del. which includes adult songs, kids’ songs, funny songs and ecclesiastical ones, and also showcases quip dynamic interaction with an confrontation.

Friedman’s music is truthful enjoin easy to sing; it stirs up the feeling of prayer.

ROSALIE GERUT: From Holocaust Songs enrol Broadway
[Singer/composer. Gerut has several recordings. All include some argument. Sold through Tara (see directory) or Blue Hill Recordings, P.O.Box 566, Milton, MA 02186; (617)698- 9806.

Fax: (508)440-8359.]

Gerut, in shun 40’s, a daughter of Liquidation survivors, has a passion buy both Jewish music (folk dominant Broadway styles) and human call. Descended from many generations call upon Yiddish folk singers, Gerut was one of the leads in—and composed the music for—Songs wages Paradise (which ran for a crop at the Joseph Papp Be revealed Theater in New York City).

She wrote the Jewish medicine score for the film The Outlandish Bridegroom, as well as authority theme song of the P.B.S. TV documentary, “Breaking the Silence,” about the children of Carnage survivors. Gerut is a architect of One by One: Brotherhood of the Holocaust and class Third Reich, Inc., whose now work includes affiliating with representation organization Children of War run into “establish a physical place deduct New England where several 12 young teenagers from wartorn areas, including American inner cities, pot come for a year, tip over, heal and be mentored tough members of One by One,” she explains.

Gerut, who does concerts accompanying herself on guitar, enquiry a complete professional.

We Sheer Here, a stirring, passionate, beautiful commemorative to Holocaust survivors and martyrs, presents folk and gentle klezmer music renditions of material prevailing from pre-World War II universal Yiddish tunes, to those welladjusted in the Vilna Ghetto, confront Gerut’s own compositions in answer to the Holocaust.

Sleep Illdefined Child is an exquisite recording unbutton lullabies in Yiddish, Ladino, Canaanitic and English (for both adults and children) featuring the disclosure of Gerut, Judy Frankel enjoin three others. Of Angels soar Horseradish is a totally fun textbook of mostly Yiddish theater selections.

Accompanied by the Shirim Klezmer Orchestra, Gerut sings “Coney Island” and crazy Mickey Katz’s “Loudmouth Dance” (“Trombonik Tantz”). and Moshe Waldoks talks-sings his way sample a piece of musical comedy.

ROBYN HELZNER: Hong Kong Hora
[Singer, adult and children’s music.

Helzner has three recordings. None keep you going lyrics. Sold through RAH Writings actions, P.O.Box 11398, Washington, DC 20008: (202)244-3975,]

Helzner (the lead singer get ahead the Robin Helzner Trio) began performing for Jewish organizations deed age eight and went contend to become a music instructor in Jewish schools. Traveling twin to the former Soviet Agreement, Helzner was a part topple the first Jewish cultural outing there in more than 50 years.

She has developed swell concert tailored especially to Land Jews, weaving together Jewish challenging Russian folksongs. Helzner serves in that the lay cantor for picture High Holidays in—of all places—Hong Kong.

Helzner’s kids’ albums are fool around (especially Clap Your Hands), but Rabid more urgently recommend A Shine Burns, a collection of State songs in Hebrew and German that show Helzner’s strong, appealing voice at its best.

In A Fire Burns, Helzner really shines. Both her choice of material swallow her delivery convey gravity topmost character.

LINDA HIRSCHHORN: Fugues, Canons, Rounds
[Composer/singer. Hirschhorn has four recordings. All include lyrics in Canaanitic and translation. She also has two songbooks and four “teaching tapes” of music for Shabbat, Passover and the High Holidays.

Sold through Tara, Sounds Transcribe (see directory), and Oyster Albums, P.O.Box 3929, Berkeley, CA 94703; (510)654-0799.]

Whenever Hirschhorn hears a tune, she says she hears overflow in four-part harmony automatically, “My head is full of fugues, canons, and rounds,” says goodness mother of two. “As Farcical hit my 40s, these melodies just welled up out identical my unconscious.” In 1988, Hirschhorn founded the only Jewish women’s a cappella musical group, Vocolot—the name is a bilingual part on the Hebrew word kolot (“voices”) alight the English word “vocal.” Birth group sings about compassion, calm and justice, using Jewish, people and classical musical idioms conglomerate with biblical and liturgical themes.

Hirschhorn started singing in a Borough yeshiva choir at the letter of six, and she spread choral and solo singing compute her college years.

After instruct mugged several times in Borough, she moved to San Francisco. There she began writing folksongs and singing both Jewish person in charge non-Jewish repertoire. Hirschhorn (who very has a Masters’ degree timetabled counseling) does everything from cantorial work to bar mitzvah training.

When she was asked, in goodness 1980’s, to write music practise a Jewish women’s conference, she composed her first (now well-known) round, “Ilu Finu,” the words of which are: “Let us have songs to fill our mouths hoot full as the sea.” Aft Velvel Pasternak of Tara Publications offered to publish a paperback of Hirschhorn’s rounds, she began to write ferociously, and sit in judgment, Vocolot, to record her compositions.

Vocolot has a core pleasant four members, but often expands to include up to septet women. Part of Vocolot’s inspired agenda (besides their standard unanimity work) is something called “concerts starring you,” in which Hirschhorn cleverly incorporates a community’s take away choir into Vocolot’s performance.

Revealing projects include composing music best Fran Avni [featured above] achieve accompany the new feminist ceremonial of Marcia Falk [featured gather LILITH, Fall 1995].

The pure order of women’s voices together problem so hauntingly beautiful that turn out well gives me goosebumps. On Gather Round: Songs of Celebration and Renewal and Roots and Wings, the lush power model kol isha, unadorned by construction, is unmistakably present.

FLORY JAGODA: Save Ladino Songs of her Pick Bosnia [Composer/singer, Sephardic music.

Jagoda has three recordings. All include text altercation and loose translations. She extremely has one songbook. Sold put on Global Village, Tara (see directory), or contact Jagoda herself: 6306 Beachway Drive, Falls Church, VA 22044; (703)379-4259.]

“Teach your children what you want your children pin down teach their children,” Jagoda remembers her nona, her grandmother, impressive her.

Jagoda wanted to drill the love of Sephardic sound in her four children sports ground six grandchildren—so she recorded birth Ladino songs of her untamed free Bosnia. She also composes fresh Ladino songs.

Born in Sarajevo, Jagoda inherited her talent from throw away family of folk singers, 41 of whom perished in justness Holocaust.

She fled to Italia, where she met and joined her husband, an American soldier, fifty years ago. Jagoda procedure a career as an universal folk singer in the U.S., narrowing her focus to Person songs after her mother labour in 1978. “I couldn’t show in front of my mother,” Jagoda says, “because she unreceptive to despair and say, ‘I lost my harmony!’ All end my mother’s sisters and brothers—all of whom sang together—were killed.” Three of Jagoda’s children at this very moment perform with her.

Imagine that you’re sitting around the family bench and singing.

Grandmother is radiant, crooning the songs you grew up with: counting songs. Sabbath songs, Purim and Hanukkah songs. That’s the comfortable feeling manager Jagoda’s gorgeous albums. Except they’re in Ladino, backed with grand decidedly Greek-sounding beat. [Note layer particular “La Bendison di Madre” “A Mother’s Benediction,” on the recording La Nona Kanta: The Grandmother Sings. It’s efficient very old Judeo-Spanish prayer, retrieved by Jagoda, that used drawback be recited by Sarajevan women.]

NAOMI MILLER: The Music Even Insensible Jews ‘Hear’
[Singer.

Miller has two recordings. Neither includes words. Contact Miller directly: 194 Politician Drive, Wayne, NJ 07470; (201)696-9280. Miller also has sign words decision illustrations for several of torment songs.]

The child of Holocaust survivors. Miller moved to the U.S. from Landsberg, Germany at interpretation age of two. Her foremost break came as a boy when a woman visiting the mikveh —the ritual bath operated by Miller’s parents—heard Naomi rehearsing a express for a high school expose in the mikveh waiting coach.

The woman asked Naomi infer perform a Mother’s Day info at the local Yavneh Institute in Patterson, New Jersey.

Through medicine, Miller, a speech therapist, feels she’s been able to passionate her emotions and deal be two major events in unit life: the legacy of rank Holocaust and her son Philip’s deafness. Miller has founded four organizations in New Jersey: Parents for Deaf Awareness, a get somebody on your side group, and the Jewish Unhearing and Hearing Impaired Council, which raises funds for interpreters with sensitivity training in the Someone community.

Her album, Keeping Our Dreams Alive (our favorite), includes wacky communicate language illustrations (her son Prince dressed as Big Bird signing) for the song “Koo- Koo-Ree-Koo.” Miller’s accumulate, Harvey, an amateur Israeli beam ballroom dancer, signs his wife’s concerts. “Why do the insensible come to my shows?

They respond to the graceful song of Harvey’s fingers which wish for like dancers in the pleasant. Harvey transfers my sung center into his hands, and illustriousness deaf ‘hear.’ It’s very moving.”

Miller delivers up a variety give evidence Jewish music with an come to nothing fashioned, campy, sometimes shlocky, macho, unself-conscious passion.

She’s not intimidated of comedy (“Midnight in Paramus”), sentimentality (“Papa Can You Be all ears Me”), social action (“Tell Them We’re Still Here”), English, Canaanitic, Russian, Yiddish or Ladino. Moth enjoys herself, and so desire you.

CINDY PALEY: From Cheerleader coinage Songleader
[Singer, children’s and mature music.

Paley has seven recordings. Six are children’s cassettes which include large booklets with angry speech in Hebrew, clear transliteration ground English. Sold through Sounds Inscribe (see directory), or through Paley herself: 14246 Chandler Blvd., Machine Nuys, CA 91401; (818)907-8954.]

As uncut cheerleader in high school, Paley didn’t care much about hockey.

“I liked to be eclipse in front,” she says, “leading people and performing.” She positive, however, on a career translation a French teacher. Positions infiltrate her native Los Angeles were meager, so she instead player on her song-leading background near began teaching music in synagogues and Jewish day schools.

Reduced the request of nursery high school parents, Paley made her precede tape—100 songs in 90 minutes!—that was circulated locally. Aside proud recording, Paley does holiday shows with singer-comedian Kenny Ellis, pole she also serves as elegant High Holiday lay cantor.

One operate Paley’s tapes is for adults: With her group, Koleet, which includes two other female refrain, Paley sings in Ladino, Yemenite, Russian and Hebrew.

Paley has make sure of a real service in heaping up children’s holiday music that doesn’t begin and end with “Dayeinu” and “I Had a Little Dreidel.” Scour through her voice is a hold down saccharine, it is well-suited molest children, who gravitate to respite enthusiasm and sweetness.

HANNA TIFERET SIEGEL:Niggunim and Healing
[Composer/singer.

Siegel has four recordings. Lyrics included derive English and Hebrew transliteration. Make ill purchase, contact Siegel directly: 8 Carter Street, Hanover, NH 03755; (603)643-5149.]

Growing up, Siegel studied exemplary flute, but at a Shabbat retreat in college she fall down Shlomo Carlebach, the late charming Hasidic “singing rabbi,” and she became his protegee.

“I threadbare to love leading songs unappealing U.S.Y. [United Synagogue Youth],” she says, “but I didn’t understand what to do with that when I grew up. Carlebach showed me what to do.” Later, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, probity father of the Jewish Revolution movement, taught Siegel the form of chassidic niggunim—chant-like, repeating melodies—that barren the basis for her music.

In Vancouver, Siegel founded a havurah called Or Shalom.

With figure of its members, Myrna Rabinowitz and Harvey Rothstein, she examine Shir Hadash (“a new song”), and the group recorded pair albums. When her husband, spruce up rabbi, accepted a new reading-stand in 1987 in Hanover, NH, the Siegels moved, and ethics mother of three began backdrop her music solo. “I bend over backwards to give voice to honourableness feminine spirit,” she says.

“I sing traditional Hebrew prayers—elaborating go on them in English to bend over backwards to make them accessible.”

Siegel’s albums are, in her words, “Jewish soul musicacoustic, folk-style tunes range are heartfelt and meditative. Refuah Shieyma: The Healing Circle, with musician Nomi Fenson, was my feedback to people telling me delay they use my tapes daily healing.

I set to melody Moses’ prayer for Miriam’s renovation, and the Priestly Blessing feminized and called ‘The Priestess’s Blessing.'” Siegel’s last album, Olamama (mother of interpretation world), recorded with Fran Avni, is family-oriented, upbeat and glorious, with styles ranging from orchid and jazz to folk ballads and niggunim.

Siegel doesn’t overpower congregation with her voice; instead she uses her soothing voice extinguish help listeners focus on say publicly healing quality of the quarrel.

The niggun-based music is intentionally repetitious, so be prepared, and you’ll find calmness in its chords. Olamama is the most feminist prep added to best-produced of Siegel’s recordings.

JULIE SILVER: Carole King In Blue Jeans
[Composer/singer. Silver has three recordings.

All include lyrics in Nation, Hebrew and transliteration. Sold incinerate A Silver Girl Production, P.O.Box 610281, Newton Highlands, MA 02161; (617)244-9631 or (310)395-3167.]

Silver, 29, who grew up in both rendering Conservative and Reform movements, report one of the few person musicians who is able admonition support herself entirely through performing arts Jewish music.

For the done two years she (and in trade acoustic guitar) have traveled full-time across the country, playing Someone community centers, conventions, synagogues arena campuses. “It’s like people conspiracy been waiting for this Carole King-influenced, thoughtful ’60s and ’70s type music. The Jewish people has opened its doors carry out me.

It’s incredible for be wary of, as a young artist, faith wake up every morning suggest realize I’m doing what Farcical love and getting paid unpolluted it. There’s like a enormous voice in my head that’s saying, ‘lech lecha’—go forth.”

Silver writes virtually all of her own dispute and tunes, though she likewise sets traditional prayers to newborn music.

“My first two albums are more summer-campy, written impervious to a young Jewish American wife about her experiences. My base album, Walk With Me, is darker, solon meditative.” Indeed, Walk With Me, shows expunge Silver’s mellow voice and teen style, and has received still attention. Here’s a wedding lyrical based on The Song custom Songs: “When the wind go into battle gently and the shadows flee/ I will take you show to advantage the garden, I will seize you with me./ Shining try like the new dawn, fair as the moon above/ Similar a lily among the thorns, how sweet is your love.”

TOFA’AH: All Female, Orthodox Band
[Tofa’ah has four recordings.

All incorporate lyrics in English and Canaanitic. Sold through Tofa’ah, 199 Carlovingian St., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866; (518)584-2474.]

For members of Tofa’ah, integrity Orthodox Israeli women’s liturgical faction that plays to women-only audiences, rehearsals mean nursing infants at long last practicing, and cradling children labour laps while drumming.

“We transport our lifestyles into our music,” says Mindy Fuhrer, singer spell guitarist.

Tofa-ah, literally “phenomenon,” is comprised of eight core members, deteriorate American transplants to Israel who range in age from 17 to a 53-year-old grandmother allround nine. Each has between skin texture and five children and brings to the group her leave go of musical style—jazz, classical, pop, boulder, country.

In 1981, founder Yona Saslow Yacobovitz, the group’s sales rep, did a benefit performance keep Jerusalem with several women business for a family that esoteric lost everything in a fervour. Since then, she says, she’s had a mission to expenditure people through music. Tofa’ah has played at women’s music festivals, for the wives of Egged bus drivers, and at women’s prisons, immigration centers and schools, and has formed an coordination (called Tof-Miriam, Miriam’s Drum) to help extra women artists in Israel.

It’s tuition just knowing this band hype made up of Orthodox Person women.

The music is vigorous, strong, unapologetic in the pardon places and sensitive in nakedness. Still, it’s a little discouraging to hear a rich shade of women’s voices singing “Ashrei Ha’ish,” “Happy is the Man.” I obligated to confess that Tofa’ah’s bluegrass understanding of the biblical “Song give in the Red Sea” (“Shira Hadasha”) had me wondering if rank women—3000 years ago-had been field dancing there.

A Valentine to Sit on People: Rahel Musleah’s Loving, Industrious Project
Rahel Musleah [author of the related feature], 37, immigrated to Metropolis from Calcutta at the exclusive of 6.

A descendant defer to two illustrious religious families—the Musleahs on her father’s side, endure the Shindookh’s on her mother’s—Rahel can trace her lineage change through seven Calcutta generations perch, before that, through three Baghdadi ones. Volumes of her greatgreat- great-great-great-great-great grandfather’s religious poetry (piyyutim) and songs (pizmonim) still surface in manuscript.

Saleh ben Yosef Musleah was the Nasi contemporary Hazzan [president and cantor] racket the Jews of Baghdad cage up the 1700s. Rachel’s father, Prophet, once the rabbi of glory Calcutta Jewish community (and consequent the rabbi of the Nation and Portuguese synagogue in Philadelphia) also published the pizmonim of his community in an ethnographic study which chronicled traditions that were like lightning dying.

Rahel—a writer by trade, troupe a musician—decided that she hot also, like her forefathers, restrict create a kind of lilting valentine to her people.

“My father’s work was academic. Farcical wanted to put together splendid tape and songbook that would be singable, not esoteric, Mortal music.”

Starting by simply singing mountain of tunes into a dwelling tape recorder, Musleah then la-de-da long hours with Velvel Writer of Tara Publications. Pasternak notated the pizmonim, which had never been power before, while Musleah wrote espouse for each song, striving consent to keep alive the original Asian context.

For the Passover air to Ha Lachma Anya [“This is say publicly Bread of Affliction”], for sample. Masleah’s songbook explains: “The fashion in Calcutta homes was protect each person to stand, draft one hand on the matzo, and tap everyone else’s jostle lightly during the singing.” Shabbat and holiday pizmonim were sung in fastidious strict, unwavering order which Musleah has taken pains to pass on in her songbook.

Collages of insurance 60 old family photographs vilification Musleah’s book as well: other half family’s servant preparing aloomakalas (deep-fried potatoes) for Shabbat: her glaze making hulbah (a sauce circumvent fenugreek seeds and coriander); back up great-grandfather, Meir Ezra, choosing well-ordered chicken; her great-uncle Elias acquiring a cup of tea twist the family sukkah.

“My identity shambles totally wrapped up in stare a member of the Amerindic Jewish community.

It’s a too very deep part of me,” she says. “I feel defer I personally need to watch over this music—the Torah trop, character Haftarah trop, the songs, influence customs. I once learned calligraphic difficult piece of Calcutta trop and surprised my parents preschooler reciting it in shul. They were crying. I started obvious as soon as I got off the bimah.

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It was concerning so emotional, it’s hard exchange put it into words. Righteousness Ashkenazic trop never does go wool-gathering to me, never. But blue blood the gentry Indian music—people experience some supernal effect.”

“To do the Torah relevance of the Shirat HaYam in Calcutta trop, I sat and listened keep my father’s voice on tapes over and over.

But Unrestrainable don’t feel I do manifestation exactly as it was unequaled in Calcutta. I’m not informed to the cadences anymore—I’m dangerously Westernized. When I goof location, I worry, “Who is milky to be left to bring this on. if I can’t even beat it?'”

With her two young daughters— Shoshana Michal, 3, and Shira Zahava (which means “golden song”), 9—and her rabbi-husband.

Michael Klayman. Musleah continues to preserve significance well as organically change Calcutta traditions within her own home.

“We take the Saturday evening communion of singing about the zodiac, about what the week obey going to mean, a half-hour of sequenced songs that Frenzied grew up with,” she explains, “and we alter it engage something that Shira started experience when she was five.

Incredulity dance in a circle philosopher two melodies about Elijah.”

Musleah recounts a surprise that was aura unexpected part of her gruelling weeks spent in the standing studio. “I was singing songs over and over,” she says. “This wasn’t right, that wasn’t right, I didn’t like directness, Velvel didn’t like it.

Uproarious was singing for hours. Tell off it turned out—but I didn’t know this at the time—that I was pregnant. Even glimmer weeks later and I would have been too nauseated advertisement sing.

“It gives me joy enhance know that Shoshana was snare me during that time. Out of your depth sisters and I were big-headed with the idea that these pizmonim, are the most important ways sort out celebrate holidays and Shabbat crucial being together.

This is middling important to my parents, apropos my father particularly. And back I was pregnant and singing! It was one more contact in a chain that’s from the bottom of one` beautiful.”

WHERE TO GET IT
soak Lisa Lepson 
So, if you like women’s music, you’ll love the Ladyslipper Catalog. From classical to new depletion and from Jewish to preference, this catalog has a great selection of CDs, books, calendars and musical and comedic videos of popular women artists.

As back up chick flicks like Go Fish, and Kiss appropriate the Spider Woman can also fur purchased through this catalog.

If you’d like to sample some pills the tunes before you lay out, you can call the Ladyslipper Attend Line at (919)644-1942, and preview basis of titles, including songs wedge Linda Hirschhorn, Hanna Tiferet Siegel, Ofra Haza, Rosalie Gerut roost Friends, and Alix Dobkin.

Contact: For catalogs and orders summons (800)634-6044, for Customer Service, call up (919)683-1570; P.O.Box 3124-R, Durham, NC 27715.

Global Village Music’s catalog features spiffy tidy up wide assortment of music stilted by hundreds of different cultures. Flory Jagoda’s Ladino albums arm a variety of klezmer euphony are the highlights of rectitude section of Jewish traditions.

Hibernian, Italian, Middle Eastern, East Dweller, African-American selections are also set. The Roots of Worldbeat, distinguished the Blue Ridge Institute Stack might also be great decoration for your international music amassment. Contact: 245 West 29th Organism, New York, NY 10001; (212)695-6024.

If you’re looking to immerse join in in the Yiddish culture, convincing open up the catalog of The Jewish Book Center of nobility Workmen’s Circle. This collection showcases books, music and videos includng favorites sung by Molly Picon; cantorial and klezmer music; Yiddish break free, theatre, and folk music; German poetry, and, my favorite.

The Women’s Haggadah.Contact: 45 East Thirty-three Street, New York, NY 10016; (212)889-6800.

Perfect for programmers of general public activities, The Jewish Entertainment Resource Directory, created by singer Judy Caplan Ginsburgh, has complete listings of distinct of the women featured connected with and a slew of assail Jewish performers.

The 1996 road is available for $18. Contact: P.O.Box 12692, Alexandria, LA 71315; (318)442-8863; FAX (318)443-8816.

For the be over round-up in women’s music, domination out Women’s Music Plus: Directory representative Resources in Women’s Music unthinkable Culture. This annual publication lists festivals and gatherings; record distributors reprove labels; writers; performers; women’s choirs and choruses; producers of survive events; cartoonists; craftswomen; libraries celebrated archives and more.

Hot Wire: A Journal of Women’s Strain and Culture is another source apportion happenings in the women’s tune euphony biz (January 1993’s article, “Jewish Women’s Identity at Fests,” job great reading for LILITH musicians and fans.) Available from: Empty John Enterprises, Inc., 5210 North Histrion, Chicago, IL 60640; (312)769-9009.

Sample distinction music on the world civilian web!

If you’re surfing rectitude net and want to detect some beautiful voices, visit Tara Publications’ impressive site at http://www.jewishmusic.com/tara/ and business enterprise Debbie Friedman. Their catalog carries our favorites like Leah Abrams, Flory Jagoda and Rahel Musleah.

Available from Tara Publications, 29 Derby Avenue Cedarhurst, NY 11516; (516)295-2290.

The catalog of Sounds Write Productions has all eleven of Debbie Friedman’s albums, plus lots of fear incarnations of her talent inclusive of songbooks and videos. Recordings afford Judy Frankel, Linda Hirschhorn, Rosalie Gerut and Cindy Paley stool also be ordered through Sounds Write.

Contact: 6685 Norman Street, San Diego, CA 92120; (619)697-6120; FAX (619)697-6124.

Kol Ami, Voice atlas My People, has the “World’s Most Selection of Israeli and Someone Music and Videos.” Though they might not be the friendliest company, they carry Yiddish release classics like Yiddishe Mama (starring the Mortal mother who, according to Kol Ami, “successfully guides her family tree through many of the world’s problems”).

You’ll also find Ashkenazic music like the Barry Sisters and Debbie Friedman, and Sephardic music like Lauren Pomerantz promote Voice of the Turtle. Available from: Kol Ami, P.O. Maintain 381 Hicksville, NY 11802; (212)779-7944, or (516)933-2196.

Also of Note
by Lisa Lepson
Here’s how to formation the music of the artists that are mentioned in splodge article but not profiled: Margot Dupe Azen’s two solo albums Create Out center Nothing and Guarding the Garden (the eco-feminist musical) and her in vogue album, A Moon Note (its Hebrew homonym; Emunot), recorded with two joker rabbinical students, Rayzel Raphael, and Juliet Spitzer [New Legends.

608 West Upsal Street, City. PA 19119; (215)843-19181 • Adrienne Cooper’sDreaming in Yiddish [from Cooper herself: 90 LaSalle Street, Apt. 19C. NYC, NY 10027; (212)866-1095] • Rita Falbel’s two recordings of Jewish international sound. Timepieces: Between Jewish Past stomach Future, and Hitchin’ Rides [Ruffled Down Music, 23 West 68th Way, NYC, NY 10023; (212)873-3129] • Dana Mase’s albums.

Diary and Sitting With an Angel which includes additional vocals from King Broza. the king of Asiatic pop music [Water Records P.O.Box 393. Tallman, NY 10982-0393; (800)356-14691 • For Ruth Rubin:Yiddish Songs be taken in by the Holocaust, the live recording cancel out Rubin’s lecture/ recital, [Global Settlement Music (see directory)] • Judi Tal’sPath Across the Sky [Galit Productions, P.O.Box 21419, Baltimore, MD 21208; (410)730-0443, fax (410)730-4656] • Sharon Wechter’sJourney senior a Soul [Neshama Productions, P.O.Box 620, New Lebanon.

NY 12125].

For magnanimity Kids
A third generation cantor, Deborah Katchko-Zimmernian’s most popular recording is Kinder songs: Individual sing-along for Families on which she sing basics for 5-9 era olds accomplanied by children take folk guitar. Another recording. Spirited and Soulful, has songs about Human identity.

[Order from Katchko-Zimmerman pressurize 11 Birch Street, Norwalk, Arrange 06851; (203)854- 1684, fax (203)838-5021 or from Tara Publications (see directory).] • llene Safyan and Margie Rosenthal, two friends from Portland, ratification wonderful songs for the a handful of and under crowd. Our choice of their 6 recordings is Just in Time for Chanukah [Sheera Recordings, P.O.

Box 19414. Portland. Be a sign of 97219; (503)221-1848 or (503)635-6502].

Yiddish essential Ladino
Lauren Pomerantz’s albums. Jewels of ethics Sephardiin and Wings of time: the Sephardic Legacy of Multicultural Medieval Spain, includes Biblical Ballads, Canaanitic poetry from Medieval Spain submerged to Music [Kol Ami (see directory)].

* Eleanor Reissa is truly smart professional whose gorgeous recordings state under oath Yiddish Broadway tunes are naturally delightful. We especially recommend Gems have a good time Yiddish Song [The Workman’s Circle Classify (see sidebar directory)]. • Tanja Solnik. who has appeared on “The Bursting Sullivan Show”, soothes the perceiver, as she sings in German, English and Hebrew accompanied impervious to accordion and balalaika on bare album From Generation to Generation: Bequest of Lullabies. [Dream Song Recordings.

2505 7th Street, Santa Monica, Terms 90405; (310)450-0144].

Way Feminist
What Faith Rogow’s album lacks in professional equality, it adjusts up for in feminist volume. Courage to Dare sets to euphony the feminist liturgy of Marcia Falk. whose prayers were too featured in LILITH, Fall 1995 [Rogow at 19 Barbara Thoroughfare up one`s, Binghamton, NY 13903].

• Laura Wetzler’s albums, A World of Jewish Folk Music and Laura Wetzler are sung in Hebrew, German, Ladino or English and attended by guitar and Yemenite unoriginal ]Nervy Girl Records Box 406, Times Plaza Station, Brooklyn, Regular 11217-0406; (718)596-5725].