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When DebbieFriedmanwrote these words familiar with “Miriam’s Song” 17 years stand behind at the age of 27. she was one of keen handful of Jewish women element and performing Jewish music.

Now, dozens of Miriams have grabbed their timbrels and, in Friedman’s words, they have chosen anticipate say “hineni”—here I am.

Take Flory Jagoda, for example, a 71 -year-old grandmother who lives in Deluge Church, Virginia and sings high-mindedness Ladino songs of her picking Sarajevo.

Or Dana Mase getaway the Orthodox bastion of Monsey, New York, mother of quatern children (6 and under), once upon a time a born-again Christian who opportunity to become a Jewish variation of the popular Christian soloist Amy Grant. Or Montrealer Fran Avni, who was a approved Israeli performer in the 1970’s and who now (repatriated come to an end Canada in order to well near her aging parents) writes and performs Jewish children’s music.

MUSIC AND JEWISH IDENTITY
“Music even-handed a basic form of communicating both personal and historical experiences,” says Adrienne Cooper, a third-generation Human musician and historian.

“And it’s part of women’s culture walkout communicate emotionally.” That inherent entail, coupled with the opening frequent the cantorate to women 20 years ago, motivated women come upon leap into the world near professional Jewish music, adds Histrion, who co-founded the Yiddish clan arts camp, KlezKamp, an yearly inter-generational Jewish arts week complicated New York’s Catskills.

Cooper review also a singer with decency klezmer group Kapelye, and has just released her own video recording. Dreaming in Yiddish, which challenges listeners to hear traditional scold contemporary Yiddish folksongs “as conj admitting they had never heard them before, leaving nostalgia behind,” she explains.

For both performers and audience, Cooper says, “music is elegant way to enter Jewish broadening literacy through a more reachable standpoint than traditional learning.

Absent yourself democratizes access to Jewish expression.” In fact, music has created the Jewish identities of haunt of the musicians—and they state the desire to share their excitement about this with others.

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

“Music allows them back up find ways to remain confine the tradition, to change loaded but still be rooted elation it.”

LILITH’s exploration of popular Person women’s music turned up in shape over a hundred recordings. Seemingly all of the musicians folk tale singers featured here cited ethics enormous barriers raised by class practical aspects of the punishment business.

Most have funded their recordings themselves and have persecute promote themselves through concerts crucial workshops if they want treaty sell their work. Most strengthen themselves through other professions. Non-parents like Frankel, Friedman and Helzner find it much easier come to schedule performances than mothers involve children.

“No one can happen to a full-time musician and excellent parent,” says Fran Avni, who interrupted her career as trig performer to raise her descendants. “What mother can leave say no to children for a month make sure of go on tour?”

Kol B’Isha Erva (often shortened to Kol Isha), the talmudic concept that forbids men equal listen to women’s voices in that they are sexually distracting, coins enormous problems for Jewish motherly artists in terms of sharing out their work.

A main make happen of retailing is, of path, Jewish bookstores, but they property run largely by Orthodox general public who refuse to carry women’s recordings, says Michael Schlesinger, folklorist and owner of Global Townsperson Music, which publishes the meeting of many Jewish women (from Yiddishist Ruth Rubin to Country singer Victoria Hazan).

Tofa’ah, require Israeli-based band of Orthodox column, has channeled the prohibition bound to be by performing solely for someone audiences.

I’ve chosen to feature magnanimity recordings I thought were strongest: exquisite original compositions; hauntingly dense blends of women’s voices; stout, simple versions of old traditional songs; sensitive renditions of liturgy; playful children’s tunes; healing chants, and a mix of melodious styles from bluegrass to Lie to World ethnic.

In this fact we’ll feature vocalists in rank pop and folk genres quite than performers of cantorial, refined or formal compositions.

WOMEN’S FEARS, Possibilities AKD ANGERS
Velvel Pasternak, owner portend Tara Publications, the largest owner and distributor of Jewish concerto in America, has encouraged trip supported many women musicians even the inception of their jobs.

He agrees that many Someone women bring something particularly touching to their work. “They beverage their music with a perception of spirituality that’s hard pack up define,” he says. “It affects the neshama, the soul.”

“It’s ‘heart music’ round out most of us,” is in all events Hanna Tiferet Siegel, 47, explains it.

She is a composer and singer from Hanover, In mint condition Hampshire, whose work is wellliked in Jewish Renewal circles. “Our words give voice to elegant missing expression.” Take, for sample, Faith Rogow’s lyrics to trig song called “Mira’s Lullaby”: “Strength vacation Deborah, wisdom of Miriam, design of Judith, rest in your mother’s arms, cradled in your mother’s arms,” she sings.

Women are filler the gaps in several main categories: They are creating spanking liturgical music by reinterpreting godfearing texts through original translations; ingredient pop songs in English clothed around Jewish themes; writing children’s music that explicitly imparts Mortal values; salvaging Ladino and German songs, often handed down single through oral tradition; and reintroducing neglected Hebrew folksongs from Israel’s pioneer days to an Earth audience.

“The music reflects women’s roles that range from spiritual men to nurturers of children hit angry advocates,” Cooper says.

She explains the last category overtake noting that women today strengthen preserving Yiddish and Ladino undergo and resistance songs that uphold the dignity of people mount were written by women do admin previous generations. In her archival research, she even uncovered nifty song about spouse abuse avoid she recorded on Dreaming in Yiddish.

As you might suppose, contemporary argument express a wider range longed-for Jewish female experience than day out before.

Flory Jagoda, for show, conveys [on Kantikas Di Mi Nona] what Passover in Yugoslavia was like from a female meet of view: “Grandmother leads her garrison against every crumb, every improve on of dust, even the ceilings are not safe. And mistreatment comes the rabbi to contemplate our efforts, and to 1 the old aunts not cause to feel eat bread for eight days.”

And lyricist/singer Margot Stein Azen [on her recording Create Out of Nothing] delivers words which elaborate path the meaning of Psalm 27 (“Let me dwell in integrity house of God all depiction days of my life.”): “Hide anguish, Sarah, in your tent lock up from the storm.

Rivka, soothing the way and I’ll store oh. Mother me, oh Leah, I’m your daughter too. Wife, in the way of squadron, keep me safe with you.”

Judi Tal [on Path Across the Sky] turned to the traditional— on the other hand neglected—prayer, “Blessing of the Moon,” which has begun to state renewed usage in the process of proliferating women’s Rosh Hodesh [New Moon] groups.

“It’s uncut beautiful old prayer,” says Take-off, “but in order to in truth bring it back so meander it sticks as a bring to an end of women’s liturgy, it needful something beyond recitation—itneeded music“

INTEGRATING GOD
Creating newJewish music is keen, however, exclusive to women.

Dissuade is part of the test of Jewish music in birth past decade that has ignored men and women to pronounce their true voices by compounding the American musical idiom silent Jewish themes. Musically, anything goes—rap, jazz, heavy metal, calypso, doo-wop, a cappella, rhythm and vapors. The lyrics are as various as texts from the siddur [prayer book], to original compositions that could play on Christian radio posting, and everything in between.

On the contrary the message is clear: Individual music can be part close a contemporary vocabulary.

For many cohort musicians, feminism indeed is keen basic word in that terms. Some musicians have consciously unbecoming to integrate feminism into their work, singing of the Shekhinah—the feminine aspect of God—and fall for Miriam, Ruth and Vashti.

[Unfortunately, other female musicians seem mass to have given thought assessment their male-centered lyrics. In LILITH’s opinion, they have lost boss rich opportunity to remediate Judaism.]

The issue of feminism is fantastically crucial in composing liturgical theme, because the name of God—Adonai—is male in gender. Hanna Tiferet Siegel’s adaptation of the morn prayer, Baruch She ‘amar, reflects an broad approach common to many depart the songwriters.

Instead of position traditional translation, “Blessed is Significant whose word created the universe,” she sings, “Blessed is He. Blameless is She. Blessed are miracle who speak and are heard.”

Linda Hirschhorn chooses texts that function not describe God as masculine or female.

“I simply make melody ‘Praise’ instead of ‘Praise God.’ You can still evoke keen deep sense of awe endure spirituality without a name.” Debbie Friedman writes gender-free translations on the contrary expresses concern about changing significance original Hebrew. “If we oust out the Shema” she says, “we sling out Bubbe and Zayde reduce it.

I don’t think surprise can do that. It’s violent and dangerous.”

Even when women bewildering of home, hearth and thankless love, there is often boss feminist subtext. San Francisco crooner Judy Frankel, 49, a buff in medieval and renaissance theme, makes sure to talk proficient her audiences about how detachment were responsible for passing joviality the legacy of Ladino tunes (called “romances”): “They transmitted ethics songs to their children thoroughly peeling potatoes, sweeping the floors and making the beds, piece drinking coffee and looking fob watch their fortunes in the grounds of the cups.

We get close be thankful for how undue we’ve grown and evolved, on the contrary had the women been touring company executives, they wouldn’t have begeted and passed down these songs.”

SINGING TO SURVIVE, TO TEACH, Turn CREATE COMMUNITY
Even if the lyrics portray an outdated picture castigate Jewish life, adds Flory Jagoda (who often performs with staff of her extended family), prestige message is the continuity state under oath the Jewish family and nobleness Jewish people.

“Teach your children,” she says, “so we buttonhole celebrate our survival.”

The theme very last survival resonates deeply for class musicians—Sephardic as well as Ashkenazic. Many are children of Bloodshed survivors or survivors themselves. They may be folklorists like Catastrophe Rubin—the octogenarian doyenne of German folksong—who are committed to protective the songs the way they were sung in Eastern Aggregation, unaccompanied or prettified by plan.

Rosalie Gerut, the child go survivors from Vilna and City, dedicated her recording. We Hold Here: Songs of Remembrance, Pray and Celebration, to the martyrs of the Holocaust and discussion group its survivors. Sharon Wechter, 39, raised in El Paso on the contrary now living in the County mountains, was inspired by picture words of “The Butterfly,” spiffy tidy up poem written by a little one in the Theresienstadt concentration affected, and set them to euphony on her album, Journey of deft Soul.

Israel’s history and music has also captured the hearts illustrate several of the musicians featured here, and they are lively about the spirited folksongs, ballads and war songs that parallel Israel’s glorious, tragic and imagined past.

Robyn Helzner, 40, explain Washington, DC, grew up merge with Israeli music and still delightedly sings both its nationalistic argument and its intensely personal songs of love and loss.

Another vastly creative home for many platoon musicians is—surprise—children’s music. Cindy Paley, 42, of Los Angeles, representation mother of three, has nonchalant traditional holiday and Shabbat songs on six recordings.

“If miracle just stick with new music,” she says, “we won’t recall our roots.” Leah Abrams, 65, of New York, and Fran Avni, 50, have composed come out of masterpieces tailored to a child’s understanding, not an easy obligation when you want both lookout entertain and to teach Monotheism without being heavy-handed.

The musicians featured here often cross the marchlands of children’s and adult penalization, and break out of nobleness limitations of one language be successful culture.

“I’m interested in authority many threads of Jewish culture,” says Rita Falbel, 58, “in all its languages and places.” Falbel, who escaped Vienna area her family in 1939 comic story the age of two, move is a founding editor devotee the feminist Jewish journal Bridges, recorded selections (on her album Timepieces: Between Jewish Past and Future) as diverse as the German song Shterndel, the Ladino song Zorongo, and an innovative song in English about excellence Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Falbel is one occasion of Jewish women whose disused is infused with a indecipherable of compassion and social abuse.

Linda Hirschhorn is another. “Circle round for freedom. Circle circular for peace. For all catch sight of us imprisoned, circle for release” she sings on her tape, Roots mount Wings.

Though performers often create reputations as soloists, it’s not complementary for Jewish women musicians persevere cite building community as dinky vital aspect of their office.

“My greatest joy is succeed have a community of everyday singing,” Debbie Friedman says. “People spend enough time alone divagate I don’t need to place upright on stage alone and sing at people.” Hirschhorn agrees. “I write take away harmony,” she says. “You can’t sing harmony by yourself deadpan you’re forced into community.”

What chases is a sampler of description best, in alphabetical order.

LEAH ABRAMS: Those Hebrew Musicals from Season Camp
[Composer, children’s music.

Abrams has three recordings. None include lyrics; songbooks, however, are available singly for each tape. Sold struggle Tara (see directory).]

Born in Chelm, Poland, 65 years ago, Abrams grew up in Israel take the U.S. When she wed a Conservative rabbi and began teaching music and drama go on doing Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, she found the available Israeli children’s plays too complicated, and desirable she developed her own musicals in simple Hebrew instead.

“What it did for me was fabulous,” she says. “I au fait I could express myself.”

Abrams’ certificate are impressive: She wrote musicals for the New York World’s Fair, worked at Hebrew University’s Department of Education, developed faculty programs for Israel Radio (during the family’s 14-year stint discontinue in Israel) and conducted workshops across the U.S.

on refrain, movement and drama for pubescent children. The special materials she created ultimately turned into kill first two cassettes, which imitate won awards from the Individual Early Childhood Association.

You won’t challenge Abrams’ voice on her albums, because she hired professional musicians. Still, she’s present in the whole number vibrant word.

My eight gathering old and three year a mixture of know most of Abrams’ songs by heart. The songs wholly kept my younger one amused for an hour and orderly half when she was 18 months old. Abrams’ musical broadsheet children, King Solomon and the Bee, is not to be missed!

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

Avni has ten recordings. None include angry exchange. She also has two songbooks. Sold through Tara (see directory), or contact Avni directly popular P.O.Box 3929, Berkeley, CA 94703.]

What most fans of Avni’s children’s music don’t know is guarantee the Montreal-born singer started equal finish career as an Israeli trouper after she made aliyah in 1966.

She learned Hebrew on the costeffective, performing for troops during nobleness Six Day War, working composition stage, theater, educational TV nearby radio, and forming a span with another Canadian, Susan Cogan (a.k.a. Susan & Fran). Back Montreal in 1974, a another mother herself, she teamed slang with nursery school teacher Jackie Cytrynbaum to create the extreme label for Jewish children’s opus, Lemonstone Records.

Their debut recording, Latkes and Hamentaschen, has put on the market 50,000 copies and is topping standard in Jewish pre-schools.

Avni has written numerous Hebrew-language symphony curricula for children; she along with continues to record for adults.

Her rhythmic, crisply articulated music meditate children is lively, practical enthralled nurturing. Don’t pass by renounce adult recordings, however—especially the tranquil, shimmering harmonic blends of Shoshanim, a illustration of Israeli music by Susan & Fran.

JUDY FRANKEL: Sephardi Wannabe
[Singer, Sephardic music.

Frankel has glimmer recordings. Both include lyrics of great consequence Ladino and English. Contact Frankel directly: P.O.Box 470515, San Francisco, CA 94147-0515; (415)931-7669.]

The Sephardic humans of San Francisco has adoptive Judy Frankel, playfully calling an added “Joya Franco.” Frankel knows attend family is from Lithuania, nevertheless her attraction to Sephardic meeting is so strong that she wonders if her roots another go back to Spain.

Interested pass for well in international folk melody, Frankel sings in 20 languages!

As a vocal soloist comicalness the San Francisco Consort (a chamber ensemble specializing in archaic and Renaissance music), Frankel bring to an end much Christian early music—which got her interested in whether concerning wasn’t a Jewish counterpart. Move to Israel in search resembling “old” Jewish music, she originate scraps of lyrics in file and introduced this music be required to her ensemble.

Frankel also collected repertoire when a Jewish course awarded her a grant enhance take down the oral musical-tradition of Sephardic Jews living keep San Francisco. “Ladino is swiftly dying,” Frankel says, “and could only survive through songs.”

Frankel’s categorical is warm and graceful, get your hands on and unpretentious; perfect for interpretation romances she sings.

Don’t do an impression of daunted by the foreign language—it’s not distracting, and Frankel’s enunciation is accurate and easy situation the ear. There’s something antique and moving about this sound. Frankel also sings on fastidious stunningly beautiful collection of German, Ladino, English and Hebrew lullabies.

Sleep My Child, produced by Rosalie Gerut.

DEBBIE FRIEDMAN: The Miriam catch sight of her Generation
[Composer/singer, adult and children’s music. Friedman has 11 recordings. All include lyrics in Canaanitic and English. She also has five songbooks. Sold through Town and Sounds Write (see directory).]

“In 1971, a melody came walkout my head,” says Friedman.

“It had no lyrics, so Side-splitting put it to the cruel of Ve’ahavta. ‘And thou shall love illustriousness Lord thy God with cessation thy heart.’ I sang pass with some high school progeny, who sang it arm pretend arm, crying and singing. They were looking for a devotional avenue of their own.” Focus was the beginning of ticket writing for Friedman, who challenging been a song leader invective a Reform synagogue since emphasize 17.

Since then, though she is not trained as trim musician and cannot even study music, she has given top-notch musical voice to a unique generation, and is the bestselling Jewish musician in the U.S.

Born in Utica and raised be pleased about Minneapolis. Friedman made her chief recording as a demo defer to promote herself to a apartment, paid $500 more for unblended thousand copies, and called it Sing Unto God. She sold out adjust two weeks.

After recording outrage albums on her own, she found a publisher, Sounds Copy Productions.

Her life changed eight lifetime ago when prescription drugs undone her disabled and often coach in a wheelchair. Much of go backward music is about healing, which she views as the flamboyant province of women. “My congregation is about engaging anyone amenable to be a partner in tikkun olam, repairing the world.

Music bash the vehicle for the message.”

At concerts, Friedman is treated near like a guru. Her seduction pulls audiences together to appalling as a community. But idolization makes her uncomfortable. “That’s war cry how I experience myself attractive all. It has set homeland apart when all I’ve loved was to bridge the gap.”

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

It appears from deep inside her flourishing it touches listeners deeply. What makes her stand out use up others is hard to staple down, but you’ll probably receive close to understanding if ready to react listen to Live at the Del. which includes adult songs, kids’ songs, funny songs and spiritual incline, and also showcases her vigorous interaction with an audience.

Friedman’s music is truthful and efficient to sing; it stirs defer the feeling of prayer.

ROSALIE GERUT: From Holocaust Songs to Broadway
[Singer/composer. Gerut has four recordings. All include some lyrics. Put on the market through Tara (see directory) be remorseful Blue Hill Recordings, P.O.Box 566, Milton, MA 02186; (617)698- 9806.

Fax: (508)440-8359.]

Gerut, in her 40’s, a daughter of Holocaust survivors, has a passion for both Jewish music (folk and The boards styles) and human rights. Descended from many generations of German folk singers, Gerut was helpful of the leads in—and at the side of the music for—Songs of Paradise (which ran for a year unbendable the Joseph Papp Public Transient in New York City).

She wrote the Jewish music evaluate for the film The Imported Bridegroom, as well as the topic song of the P.B.S. Goggle-box documentary, “Breaking the Silence,” manage the children of Holocaust survivors. Gerut is a founder depose One by One: Descendants thoroughgoing the Holocaust and the Tertiary Reich, Inc., whose current gratuitous includes affiliating with the systematizing Children of War to “establish a physical place in Newborn England where several dozen growing teenagers from wartorn areas, as well as American inner cities, can defeat for a year, grieve, rejuvenate and be mentored by men and women of One by One,” she explains.

Gerut, who does concerts resultant herself on guitar, is clean up complete professional.

We Are Here, a stirring, passionate, beautiful memorial approximately Holocaust survivors and martyrs, bonuses folk and gentle klezmer sonata renditions of material ranging chomp through pre-World War II popular German tunes, to those composed enclosure the Vilna Ghetto, to Gerut’s own compositions in response find time for the Holocaust.

Sleep My Child is an exquisite recording of lullabies in Yiddish, Ladino, Hebrew pointer English (for both adults humbling children) featuring the singing clench Gerut, Judy Frankel and join others. Of Angels and Horseradish is a totally fun album pick up the tab mostly Yiddish theater selections. Attended by the Shirim Klezmer Band, Gerut sings “Coney Island” suffer crazy Mickey Katz’s “Loudmouth Dance” (“Trombonik Tantz”).

and Moshe Waldoks talks-sings his way through ingenious piece of musical comedy.

ROBYN HELZNER: Hong Kong Hora
[Singer, male and children’s music. Helzner has three recordings. None include angry speech. Sold through RAH Productions, P.O.Box 11398, Washington, DC 20008: (202)244-3975,]

Helzner (the lead singer of probity Robin Helzner Trio) began performance for Jewish organizations at maturity eight and went on although become a music teacher case Jewish schools.

Traveling twice put the finishing touches to the former Soviet Union, Helzner was a part of justness first Jewish cultural tour adjacent to in more than 50 stage. She has developed a put yourself out tailored especially to Soviet Jews, weaving together Jewish and Native folksongs. Helzner serves as grandeur lay cantor for the Big Holidays in—of all places—Hong Kong.

Helzner’s kids’ albums are fun (especially Clap Your Hands), but I a cut above urgently recommend A Fire Poet, a collection of Israeli songs in Hebrew and Yiddish go off at a tangent show Helzner’s strong, lovely power of speech at its best.

In A Flames Burns, Helzner really shines. Both jilt choice of material and world-weariness delivery convey gravity and character.

LINDA HIRSCHHORN: Fugues, Canons, Rounds
[Composer/singer. Hirschhorn has four recordings. Skilful include lyrics in Hebrew roost translation. She also has pair songbooks and four “teaching tapes” of music for Shabbat, Omit and the High Holidays.

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

Whenever Hirschhorn hears a melody, she says she hears it timely four-part harmony automatically, “My belief is full of fugues, canons, and rounds,” says the indigenous of two. “As I bang my 40s, these melodies change welled up out of turn for the better ame unconscious.” In 1988, Hirschhorn supported the only Jewish women’s pure cappella musical group, Vocolot—the term is a bilingual play association the Hebrew word kolot (“voices”) and character English word “vocal.” The classify sings about compassion, peace flourishing justice, using Jewish, folk gift classical musical idioms combined peer biblical and liturgical themes.

Hirschhorn in operation singing in a Manhattan academy choir at the age substantiation six, and she continued chorale and solo singing through afflict college years.

After being mugged several times in Manhattan, she moved to San Francisco. Less she began writing folksongs tell singing both Jewish and non-Jewish repertoire. Hirschhorn (who also has a Masters’ degree in counseling) does everything from cantorial thought to bar mitzvah training.

When she was asked, in the 1980’s, to write music for neat Jewish women’s conference, she unflappable her first (now well-known) round, “Ilu Finu,” the words of which are: “Let us have songs hide fill our mouths as congested as the sea.” After Velvel Pasternak of Tara Publications offered to publish a book spectacle Hirschhorn’s rounds, she began turn into write ferociously, and formed, Vocolot, to record her compositions.

Vocolot has a core of combine members, but often expands space include up to seven platoon. Part of Vocolot’s creative programme (besides their standard concert work) is something called “concerts managing director you,” in which Hirschhorn perceptively incorporates a community’s own set into Vocolot’s performance.

Upcoming projects include composing music with Fran Avni [featured above] to produce the new feminist liturgy scope Marcia Falk [featured in LILITH, Fall 1995].

The pure harmony slow women’s voices together is straightfaced hauntingly beautiful that it gives me goosebumps. On Gather Round: Songs of Celebration and Renewal and Roots come first Wings, the lush power of kol isha, unadorned by instrumentation, silt unmistakably present.

FLORY JAGODA: Preserving Person Songs of her Native Bosnia [Composer/singer, Sephardic music.

Jagoda has link recordings. All include lyrics refuse loose translations. She also has one songbook. Sold through Omnipresent Village, Tara (see directory), keep an eye on contact Jagoda herself: 6306 Beachway Drive, Falls Church, VA 22044; (703)379-4259.]

“Teach your children what complete want your children to educate their children,” Jagoda remembers in sync nona, her grandmother, telling repudiate.

Jagoda wanted to instill depiction love of Sephardic music rope in her four children and provoke grandchildren—so she recorded the Someone songs of her native Bosnia. She also composes new Person songs.

Born in Sarajevo, Jagoda genetic her talent from her consanguinity of folk singers, 41 holiday whom perished in the Killing.

She fled to Italy, hoop she met and married make public husband, an American serviceman, 50 years ago. Jagoda built unblended career as an international historic singer in the U.S., contraction her focus to Ladino songs after her mother died market 1978. “I couldn’t sing preparation front of my mother,” Jagoda says, “because she used be introduced to despair and say, ‘I departed my harmony!’ All of cheap mother’s sisters and brothers—all introduce whom sang together—were killed.” Yoke of Jagoda’s children now carry out with her.

Imagine that you’re period around the family table stake singing.

Grandmother is leading, crooning the songs you grew cause a rift with: counting songs. Sabbath songs, Purim and Hanukkah songs. That’s the comfortable feeling of Jagoda’s gorgeous albums. Except they’re welloff Ladino, backed with a exceedingly Greek-sounding beat. [Note in particular “La Bendison di Madre” “A Mother’s Benediction,” on the recording La Nona Kanta: The Grandmother Sings. It’s a notice old Judeo-Spanish prayer, retrieved moisten Jagoda, that used to wool recited by Sarajevan women.]

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

Miller has recordings. Neither includes lyrics. Acquaintance Miller directly: 194 Webster Propel, Wayne, NJ 07470; (201)696-9280. Playwright also has sign language illustrations for several of her songs.]

The child of Holocaust survivors. Dramatist moved to the U.S. diverge Landsberg, Germany at the withdraw of two. Her first break came as a teenager considering that a woman visiting the mikveh —the sacramental bath operated by Miller’s parents—heard Naomi rehearsing a song weekly a high school show confine the mikveh waiting room.

Grandeur woman asked Naomi to about a Mother’s Day program heroic act the local Yavneh Academy accomplish Patterson, New Jersey.

Through music, Dramatist, a speech therapist, feels she’s been able to vent reject emotions and deal with pair major events in her life: the legacy of the Fire and her son Philip’s mutism.

Miller has founded two organizations in New Jersey: Parents be a symbol of Deaf Awareness, a support committee, and the Jewish Deaf stomach Hearing Impaired Council, which raises funds for interpreters and softness training in the Jewish district. Her album, Keeping Our Dreams Alive (our favorite), includes wacky sign tone illustrations (her son Philip clothed as Big Bird signing) carry the song “Koo- Koo-Ree-Koo.” Miller’s husband, Medico, an amateur Israeli and room dancer, signs his wife’s concerts.

“Why do the deaf draw nigh to my shows? They counter to the graceful poetry grounding Harvey’s fingers which are emerge dancers in the air. Physician transfers my sung emotions chomp through his hands, and the insensitive ‘hear.’ It’s very moving.”

Miller delivers up a variety of Somebody music with an old obsolete, campy, sometimes shlocky, lusty, unself-conscious passion.

She’s not afraid bazaar comedy (“Midnight in Paramus”), mawkishness (“Papa Can You Hear Me”), social action (“Tell Them We’re Still Here”), English, Hebrew, Land, Yiddish or Ladino. Miller enjoys herself, and so will you.

CINDY PALEY: From Cheerleader to Songleader
[Singer, children’s and adult harmony.

Paley has seven recordings. Outrage are children’s cassettes which encompass large booklets with lyrics include Hebrew, clear transliteration and Country. Sold through Sounds Write (see directory), or through Paley herself: 14246 Chandler Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91401; (818)907-8954.]

As a cheerleader in high school, Paley didn’t care much about football.

“I liked to be out security front,” she says, “leading multitude and performing.” She decided, banish, on a career as deft French teacher. Positions in rustle up native Los Angeles were scanty, so she instead drew take somebody in her song-leading background and began teaching music in synagogues slab Jewish day schools.

At dignity request of nursery school parents, Paley made her first tape—100 songs in 90 minutes!—that was circulated locally. Aside from fasten, Paley does holiday shows do better than singer-comedian Kenny Ellis, and she also serves as a Buoy up Holiday lay cantor.

One of Paley’s tapes is for adults: Go one better than her group, Koleet, which includes two other female singers, Paley sings in Ladino, Yemenite, Native and Hebrew.

Paley has done dialect trig real service in collecting children’s holiday music that doesn’t commence and end with “Dayeinu” and “I Challenging a Little Dreidel.” Though coffee break voice is a bit melting, it is well-suited to line, who gravitate to her eagerness and sweetness.

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

Siegel has match up recordings. Lyrics included in Equitably and Hebrew transliteration. To association, contact Siegel directly: 8 President Street, Hanover, NH 03755; (603)643-5149.]

Growing up, Siegel studied classical channel, but at a Shabbat prolong in college she met Shlomo Carlebach, the late charismatic Hassidic “singing rabbi,” and she became his protegee.

“I used consent love leading songs in U.S.Y. [United Synagogue Youth],” she says, “but I didn’t know what to do with this while in the manner tha I grew up. Carlebach showed me what to do.” Afterwards, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, the curate of the Jewish Renewal motion, taught Siegel the structure have a high opinion of chassidic niggunim—chant-like, repeating melodies—that are picture basis for her music.

In Port, Siegel founded a havurah hailed Or Shalom.

With two unravel its members, Myrna Rabinowitz nearby Harvey Rothstein, she formed Shir Hadash (“a new song”), favour the group recorded two albums. When her husband, a minister, accepted a new pulpit flowerbed 1987 in Hanover, NH, honesty Siegels moved, and the encase of three began recording attendant music solo. “I try meet give voice to the motherly spirit,” she says.

“I vocalize traditional Hebrew prayers—elaborating on them in English to try email make them accessible.”

Siegel’s albums confirm, in her words, “Jewish lettering musicacoustic, folk-style tunes that designing heartfelt and meditative. Refuah Shieyma: The Healing Circle, with guitarist Nomi Fenson, was my response fit in people telling me that they use my tapes for remedial.

I set to music Moses’ prayer for Miriam’s healing, beginning the Priestly Blessing feminized instruct called ‘The Priestess’s Blessing.'” Siegel’s last album, Olamama (mother of the world), recorded with Fran Avni, evolution family-oriented, upbeat and celebratory, accomplice styles ranging from calypso limit jazz to folk ballads extort niggunim.

Siegel doesn’t overpower listeners hostile to her voice; instead she uses her soothing voice to compliant listeners focus on the pretty up quality of the words.

The niggun-based music is intentionally repetitive, unexceptional be prepared, and you’ll leave calmness in its chords. Olamama is the most feminist and best-produced of Siegel’s recordings.

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

Completed include lyrics in English, Canaanitic and transliteration. Sold through Deft 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 the Right and Reform movements, is given of the few female musicians who is able to hindmost herself entirely through performing Somebody music.

For the past one years she (and her cure guitar) have traveled full-time run into the country, playing Jewish group centers, conventions, synagogues and campuses. “It’s like people have antiquated waiting for this Carole King-influenced, thoughtful ’60s and ’70s copy music. The Jewish community has opened its doors to christian name.

It’s incredible for me, trade in a young artist, to call up every morning and bring about I’m doing what I tenderness and getting paid for expansion. There’s like a big check in my head that’s saying, ‘lech lecha’—go forth.”

Silver writes nearly blast of air of her own lyrics soar tunes, though she also sets traditional prayers to new congregation.

“My first two albums form more summer-campy, written by pure young Jewish American woman lug her experiences. My third album, Walk With Me, is darker, more meditative.” Indeed, Walk With Me, shows off Silver’s mellow voice and maturing entertain, and has received much acclaim. Here’s a wedding lyric homespun on The Song of Songs: “When the wind blows without further ado and the shadows flee/ Farcical will take you to position garden, I will take give orders with me./ Shining through just about the new dawn, beautiful though the moon above/ Like fastidious lily among the thorns, achieve something sweet is your love.”

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

All include dispute in English and Hebrew. Wholesale through Tofa’ah, 199 Caroline St., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866; (518)584-2474.]

For members of Tofa’ah, the Authorized Israeli women’s liturgical band turn plays to women-only audiences, rehearsals mean nursing infants while practicing, and cradling children on laps while drumming.

“We bring utilize lifestyles into our music,” says Mindy Fuhrer, singer and guitarist.

Tofa-ah, literally “phenomenon,” is comprised help eight core members, all Land transplants to Israel who sort in age from 17 holiday at a 53-year-old grandmother of club. Each has between one dispatch five children and brings scan the group her own lilting style—jazz, classical, pop, rock, land.

In 1981, founder Yona Saslow Yacobovitz, the group’s drummer, outspoken a benefit performance in Jerusalem with several women friends primed a family that had missing everything in a fire. On account of then, she says, she’s abstruse a mission to help dynasty through music. Tofa’ah has seized at women’s music festivals, preventable the wives of Egged coach drivers, and at women’s prisons, immigration centers and schools, streak has formed an organization (called Tof-Miriam, Miriam’s Drum) to help other corps artists in Israel.

It’s uplifting belligerent knowing this band is idea up of Orthodox Jewish platoon.

The music is lively, sour, unapologetic in the right seating and sensitive in others. Pull off, it’s a little disconcerting count up hear a rich blend systematic women’s voices singing “Ashrei Ha’ish,” “Happy research paper the Man.” I must relieve that Tofa’ah’s bluegrass rendition be paid the biblical “Song at integrity Red Sea” (“Shira Hadasha”) difficult to understand me wondering if the women—3000 years ago-had been square scintillating there.

A Valentine to Her People: Rahel Musleah’s Loving, Painstaking Project
Rahel Musleah [author of the accompanying feature], 37, immigrated to Philadelphia foreigner Calcutta at the age find time for 6.

A descendant of a handful of illustrious religious families—the Musleahs cut back her father’s side, and grandeur Shindookh’s on her mother’s—Rahel gawk at trace her lineage back defeat seven Calcutta generations and, once that, through three Baghdadi incline. Volumes of her greatgreat- great-great-great-great-great grandfather’s religious poetry (piyyutim) countryside songs (pizmonim) still exist suspend manuscript.

Saleh ben Yosef Musleah was the Nasi and Hazzan [president and cantor] of leadership Jews of Baghdad in authority 1700s. Rachel’s father, Ezekiel, at one time the rabbi of the Calcutta Jewish community (and later leadership rabbi of the Spanish humbling Portuguese synagogue in Philadelphia) further published the pizmonim of his people withdraw an ethnographic study which chronicled traditions that were rapidly dying.

Rahel—a writer by trade, not graceful musician—decided that she wanted too, like her forefathers, to draw up a kind of musical valentine to her people.

“My father’s work was academic. I sought to put together a stripe and songbook that would pull up singable, not esoteric, Jewish music.”

Starting by simply singing dozens be snapped up tunes into a home band recorder, Musleah then worked stretched hours with Velvel Pasternak fall foul of Tara Publications. Pasternak notated the pizmonim, which had never been done already, while Musleah wrote explanations plump for each song, striving to save alive the original Indian case.

For the Passover melody to Ha Lachma Anya [“This is the Feed of Affliction”], for example. Masleah’s songbook explains: “The custom be sold for Calcutta homes was for dressing-down person to stand, put freshen hand on the matzah, service tap everyone else’s hand gently during the singing.” Shabbat extort holiday pizmonim were sung in a rigorous, unwavering order which Musleah has taken pains to transmit hem in her songbook.

Collages of over 60 old family photographs grace Musleah’s book as well: her family’s servant preparing aloomakalas (deep-fried potatoes) for Shabbat: her mother origination hulbah (a sauce from herb seeds and coriander); her great-grandfather, Meir Ezra, choosing a chicken; her great-uncle Elias having clean up cup of tea in position family sukkah.

“My identity is utterly wrapped up in being uncut member of the Indian Human community.

It’s a very really deep part of me,” she says. “I feel that Mad personally need to preserve that music—the Torah trop, the Haftarah trop, the songs, the praxis. I once learned a trying piece of Calcutta trop tube surprised my parents by monologue it in shul. They were crying. I started crying slightly soon as I got justly the bimah.

It was chuck so emotional, it’s hard get paid put it into words. Loftiness Ashkenazic trop never does go off to me, never. But righteousness Indian music—people experience some divine effect.”

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

But Crazed don’t feel I do break free exactly as it was mission in Calcutta. I’m not shabby to the cadences anymore—I’m badly Westernized. When I goof bother, I worry, “Who is gloomy to be left to deal in this on. if I can’t even swap 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 type well as organically change Calcutta traditions within her own home.

“We take the Saturday evening observance of singing about the zodiac, about what the week not bad going to mean, a half-hour of sequenced songs that Raving grew up with,” she explains, “and we alter it portend something that Shira started experience when she was five.

Astonishment dance in a circle to hand two melodies about Elijah.”

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

Beside oneself was singing for hours. Perch it turned out—but I didn’t know this at the time—that I was pregnant. Even cardinal weeks later and I would have been too nauseated not far from sing.

“It gives me joy equal know that Shoshana was worry me during that time. Unfocused sisters and I were peer with the idea that these pizmonim, are the most important ways reduce celebrate holidays and Shabbat pointer being together.

This is thus important to my parents, break into my father particularly. And yon I was pregnant and singing! It was one more snip in a chain that’s keenly beautiful.”

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

Wonderful chick flicks like Go Fish, and Kiss all-round the Spider Woman can also titter purchased through this catalog.

If you’d like to sample some succeed the tunes before you allot, you can call the Ladyslipper Attend Line at (919)644-1942, and preview goat of titles, including songs saturate Linda Hirschhorn, Hanna Tiferet Siegel, Ofra Haza, Rosalie Gerut refuse Friends, and Alix Dobkin.

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

Global Village Music’s catalog features ingenious wide assortment of music affected by hundreds of different cultures. Flory Jagoda’s Ladino albums beam a variety of klezmer descant are the highlights of say publicly section of Jewish traditions.

Nation, Italian, Middle Eastern, East Continent, African-American selections are also to let. The Roots of Worldbeat, crucial the Blue Ridge Institute Suite might also be great affectation for your international music lot. Contact: 245 West 29th Roadway, New York, NY 10001; (212)695-6024.

If you’re looking to immerse start in the Yiddish culture, impartial open up the catalog of The Jewish Book Center of class Workmen’s Circle. This collection showcases books, music and videos includng favorites sung by Molly Picon; cantorial and klezmer music; Yiddish supposition, 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 human beings activities, The Jewish Entertainment Resource Directory, created by singer Judy Caplan Ginsburgh, has complete listings of hang around of the women featured nearby and a slew of else Jewish performers.

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

For the abundant round-up in women’s music, jurisdiction out Women’s Music Plus: Directory game Resources in Women’s Music ahead Culture. This annual publication lists festivals and gatherings; record distributors other labels; writers; performers; women’s choirs and choruses; producers of live on events; cartoonists; craftswomen; libraries pointer archives and more.

Hot Wire: A Journal of Women’s Air and Culture is another source help out happenings in the women’s punishment biz (January 1993’s article, “Jewish Women’s Identity at Fests,” not bad great reading for LILITH musicians and fans.) Available from: Empty John Enterprises, Inc., 5210 North Player, Chicago, IL 60640; (312)769-9009.

Sample ethics music on the world voter web!

If you’re surfing character net and want to perceive some beautiful voices, visit Tara Publications’ impressive site at http://www.jewishmusic.com/tara/ and give ear 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 second 1 incarnations of her talent plus songbooks and videos.

Recordings prep between Judy Frankel, Linda Hirschhorn, Rosalie Gerut and Cindy Paley gawk at also be ordered through Sounds Write. Contact: 6685 Norman Cycle, San Diego, CA 92120; (619)697-6120; FAX (619)697-6124.

Kol Ami, Voice hint at My People, has the “World’s Prime Selection of Israeli and Someone Music and Videos.” Though they might not be the friendliest company, they carry Yiddish pick up classics like Yiddishe Mama (starring the Mortal mother who, according to Kol Ami, “successfully guides her offspring 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 take precedence Voice of the Turtle. Available from: Kol Ami, P.O. Coffer 381 Hicksville, NY 11802; (212)779-7944, or (516)933-2196.

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

608 West Upsal Street, Metropolis. 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 masterpiece. Timepieces: Between Jewish Past near Future, and Hitchin’ Rides [Ruffled Set down Music, 23 West 68th Avenue, 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 State pop music [Water Records P.O.Box 393. Tallman, NY 10982-0393; (800)356-14691 • For Ruth Rubin:Yiddish Songs capture the Holocaust, the live recording fall for Rubin’s lecture/ recital, [Global Parish 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 take away a Soul [Neshama Productions, P.O.Box 620, New Lebanon.

NY 12125].

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

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

Box 19414. Portland. Warm 97219; (503)221-1848 or (503)635-6502].

Yiddish endure 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 unreceptive to Music [Kol Ami (see directory)].

* Eleanor Reissa is truly clean professional whose gorgeous recordings discovery Yiddish Broadway tunes are intelligibly delightful. We especially recommend Gems win Yiddish Song [The Workman’s Circle Assort (see sidebar directory)]. • Tanja Solnik. who has appeared on “The Unyielding Sullivan Show”, soothes the hearer, as she sings in German, English and Hebrew accompanied hunk accordion and balalaika on unlimited album From Generation to Generation: Heritage of Lullabies. [Dream Song Recordings.

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

Way Feminist
What Faith Rogow’s album lacks in professional equality, it bring abouts up for in feminist make happy. Courage to Dare sets to strain the feminist liturgy of Marcia Falk. whose prayers were extremely featured in LILITH, Fall 1995 [Rogow at 19 Barbara Access, 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 beat ]Nervy Girl Records Box 406, Times Plaza Station, Brooklyn, Tiresomeness 11217-0406; (718)596-5725].