Jewish music... or is it?

I used to classify Jewish music as songs that I play when I songlead at camp, lead services, and learn at Hava Nashira (a "Jewish" music retreat for adults), and the occasional artist like Matisyahu or Blue Fringe. But now I know that Jewish music can range to anything from "Ghettoblaster" hip-hop to a collection of funky klezmer-folk fusion. I think that as long as one can connect the music to a part of their Jewish identity or culture, it can be considered "Jewish" in one way or another. 

A perfect example of this type of classification of Jewish music that I can give is music in Jewish summer camps. I am a songleader at my camp, and music is the driving force behind almost everything we do. We sing at every meal, whether it is the blessings before and after the meal, an all-camp song session, or a spontaneous outburst of song within a bunk or unit. I would say that 95% of the songs we sing at camp would automatically be identified as "Jewish" to any listener. However, the other 5% we sing are not typically classified as "Jewish." This 5% includes folk songs (like "This Land is Your Land by the one and only Woody Guthrie), popular songs, and even the occasional round of "The Rainbow Connection." To any outsider from our camp, these songs seem anything but Jewish. However, to the community of Camp Harlam, these songs define important Jewish moments and memories. Were they written with the intent of being considered "Jewish," most likely not. But do they hold that meaning to a number of people, absolutely.

As we learned in class today, there is no such thing as "Jewish music." There is no way to create a sound that is purely Jewish. Music is music, it is up to the listener to classify what they believe they are listening to. I think that the album that I listened to was a perfect example of the listener needing to determine what kind of music they are listening to.

I listened to "Woody Guthrie's A Happy Joyous Hanukkah" by The Klezmatics. Woody Guthrie is regarded as the "father of folk music." I would be lying if I said that I wasn't a complete nerd when it came to folk music. I grew up with it, and I consider it to be one of my favorite types of music. When I first put in the cd by The Klezmatics, I was a bit skeptical. What could this klezmer group bring to the lyrics of Woody Guthrie. In my mind, there was no room for klezmer music and folk music to combine. Luckily, I was proven wrong. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to listen to.  It reminded me of a cd my over-the-top religious school teacher would play for my class when we were younger. 

According to a review in the New York Times, "...the Klezmatics were not bound by any genre. They could sound like a chamber ensemble, a jazz combo, a ragtime group or a roots-rock band as well as a klezmer group." I think that the Klezmatics did a great job combining the unforgettable folk music of Woody Guthrie with klezmer instrumentals. This album, along with the other albums we listened to in class, have definitely changed my idea of what "Jewish music" is. 

just something interesting i came across

A friend sent me this link this morning, and I thought it was really interesting and inspiring. Despite anyone's political opinions, I just think it sends out a great message.

www.dipdive.com

Will.I.Am Says "Yes We Can"

Watch and listen closely... Maya Rubin makes a few appearances to represent the Jewish population of America, her contribution is in Hebrew!

Edit (3/4/08):

I wanted to add to this post a while ago, but I never got around to it. I am curious about what could possibly be seen as "Jewish" within the upcoming Presidential election. I know many people that are basing their votes on one issue, Israel. One-issue voters do not sit well with me, but I can understand where they are coming from. It is up to the Jewish population of voters in the USA to elect the candidate that they believe will be the best person to run the country, and that includes representing the Jewish people and working on the situation in the Middle East.

Who would have thought...

I would have never thought that there was a prayer for the conversion of Jews. Maybe that is just me being a bit ignorant when it comes to Catholic liturgy, but it seems a bit odd. Now, I have been approached several times in my life about "saving my soul," but I never thought that someone was praying for the conversion of the Jews. According to The New York Times, a top Vatican cardinal, who is in charge of the inter-religious relations with Jews, denied the revision of a Conversion prayer (see link) "Vatican Cardinal Defends Jewish Conversion Prayer".

The first thing I thought of when I read this article was how much controversy this one prayer can cause. The inter-religious relationship between Jews and Catholics can be severely marred by this traditionalist prayer. According to the article, one Cardinal stated,

"We think that reasonably this prayer cannot be an obstacle to dialogue because
it reflects the faith of the Church and, furthermore, Jews have prayers in their
liturgical texts that we Catholics don't like,"

I cannot think of any part of Jewish liturgy, at least that I am aware of, that prays for the conversion of non-Jews. I guess I can understand the reason for wanting to keep this prayer as is because it holds traditional value. However, if the overall goal is to better relations between the two religions, I am not sure that this prayer is going to sit well with either party. The way I see it, those who are praying for the conversion of Jews are also praying for them to change their identity. When looking at it that way, it is hard to forsee any progress with inter-religious relations in the future. I don't want to sound like a cynic because I do believe that there is always a possibility for improvement, but I know that it does not sit well with me that there is a select group of traditionalist Catholics that are praying for me to convert. I am certainly not praying for the conversion of them when I pray. I am confident and comfortable with my religious beliefs, and I think that is good enough for me.

I also find it interesting that the Pope decided to reinstate an old-style Latin mass that was phased out in the 1960's. There was obviously a reason that it was put out of practice, and using it again has the potential to cause more harm than good in regards to inter-religious understanding. There is a difference to "giving witness" to one's faith, and praying for the conversion of others. 

[I want to edit this paragraph. I do not mean to seem like I object to prayer in Latin. I am not a fan of going to services at my synagogue and praying mostly in English, so I certainly do not wish to give off the impression that I am against praying in Latin. What I do not understand is why bring back this mass that was phased out in the 1960's. It was done for a reason, right?]

Overall, I do not really know what to make of this issue. I find the article very interesting, and it definitely sparks my interest in Catholic liturgy and inter-religious relations. I am hoping that there will be a follow-up on this story as well. I am curious to read what everyone else thinks about this article.