I have grown up listening to Debbie Freidman, Rick Recht, Dan Nichols, and Eighteen. I have gone to many of their concerts, I own many of their CD’s and I have never really thought about why I consider their music “Jewish Music”, until after our classed discussed “Jewish Music”.
At first I thought it might be because most of their music stems from different prayers or different parts of liturgy. Rick Recht, is my favorite of the “Jewish” artists, a lot of his music are prayers put to his own music. They are very catchy tunes and interesting melodies for prayers that I have said since I was a little girl. The music that he writes put new twists on old words that are very important to Judaism.
Then I thought maybe it was the ideals or values that are embodied in these songs. Ideals and values such as Tikkun Olam, Kehilah Kedoshah, the hope of Israel, the hope of our children and the future of the Jewish people. Rick Recht’s song “Tomorrow Today” from his album Shabbat Alive is about the 2000 year journey of the Jewish people and what the future of the Jewish people could be if we continue to give to it. This idea of what the Jewish people will be if we can give it, if we continue the pride of our culture and lifelong learning so that we will survive in the future. This song is meant to empower Jewish youth to continue learning and continue the visions of the Jewish people so that we can continue to thrive in the future.
Then I thought the reason this music is considered “Jewish” is because of where it is often played. In my synagogue's Sunday school we often teach these songs to the kids. At camp music from Debbie Freidman, Rick Recht and Dan Nichols is heard constantly. At youth conventions and programs this music is usually included in some way or another. Every year in Chicago at one or more of the many Walk with Israel’s this music is played. The locations of where the music of these artists are played are Jewish settings and Jewish places filled with Jewish people.
After I thought about it more it’s not just what these songs say, what they imply, what they teach or where they are played that makes them “Jewish”, it is what those who listen to it receive from it. When I listen to songs such as “The Hope”, “Kehilah Kedoshah”, and “You will Love”, I connect with Judaism in my own way. Whether I am listening to this music on my iPod, participating in a song session, at a concert or at my synagogue teaching these songs to the kids, I am connecting with Judaism. These songs teach me and make me think about a lot of the reasons that I am Jewish. So in the question of “Jewish Music”, for me it is what I take from these songs that makes them Jewish.
1 comment:
I think a lot of these "Jewish" song artists are thought to sing "Jewish" music because of the Jewish undertones in the songs. A lot of the individual songs are in hebrew or talk about Judaism, but a handful of them simply discuss issues that are generally associated with being Jewish, such as Israel. I actually have a funny story related to Debbie Friedman. I was learning in an Orthodox Seminary and we were learning Lech L'cha and when i figured out what it was i broke out into Debbie's song and got really excited. Turned out, no one in the whole room even knew who Debbie Friedman was. Needless to say, I was shocked. Turns out the "Jewish Rockstars" I have come to know and love are different for each sect of Judaism and the Jewish community as a whole might not even know they exist.
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