[HANASHIR:8031] Re: What makes a song Jewish (Tu B'Shevat songs)

[shirona <shirona...>]

Karen, how can any two Jews not find controversy sooner or later?

The question of "what makes a song Jewish" has no simple - if any, answer.
Let's face one fact - that we are very big "shnorers" when it comes to
cultural expression, and is best exemplified in music. Even our National
Anthem, "Hatikvah" - was taken from a Rumanian (?) horse-and-buggy tune, as
we learned from Shimon Cohen at Hava Nashira '98. So many of our cherished
and "very Jewish" Hassidic melodies were swiped from the Eastern European
goyim.  It was considered a mitzvah - to "rescue" a beautiful, secular,
goyishe' melody, and match it up with our own liturgy...

The truth is, that there is no such thing as purely Jewish music.  Our
history explains itself - one doesn't need to be a historian or a
musicologist to understand the "why" of the matter. But we are great at
preserving stuff, and we are great at adding layers of meaning, yes - our
very Jewish meaning, to otherwise mundane creations.

Can you imagine 300 years from now - if one of the Shlock Rock songs made
it's way into our "formal official" liturgy - will we possibly remember the
original song that was the source of the "knock off"?  ( Bore' bore', p'ri
ha'etz  - it's Tu Bishvat, vat vat...)

 What about that awful German drinking song we shamelessly use for "Ein
Keloheinu"?  If you want to know the truth - THAT was the impetus for me to
start composing music.  I wanted to hear something more "Jewish" for the
beautiful Ein Keloheinu.  so I composed something that sounded more Eastern
European...  The irony of that does not escape me.

And how important and "traditional" is Hashkedia Porachat?  Growing up in
Israel, I assure you - we HATED that song! Even as an eight year old I found
it silly...  If you only knew the spoofs that were sung to that melody -
you'd never want to sing it again!

As for the song I recommended - I just think it's a gorgeous song and it has
something to teach.  It happens to be relevant to the ideas of Tu Bishvat.
Besides - I believe the composers are Jewish... does THAT make it a Jewish
song?

Shirona


----- Original Message -----
From: <DurlKare (at) aol(dot)com>
To: <hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2001 6:01 AM
Subject: [HANASHIR:8019] What makes a song Jewish (Tu B'Shevat songs)


> Ok, I have to write this.  Not to be majorly controversial or anything,
but what do these secular songs teach about the Jewish traditions?  Which
brings up the question: what makes a song JEWISH?
>
> My personal definition is: it either teaches something FROM OUR TRADITION,
or else has some Hebrew or Yiddish words, or an English translation of
something in our VAST literature of knowledge and prayer....The songs
mentioned for Tu B'Shevat are NICE but not JEWISH.  We have such little time
with our students and congregations, why waste it on bringing the outside
world in?  There are so many lovely traditional songs we still have to learn
(at least I know that I don't know them all!)
>
> -Karen Daniel
> Jewish performer/songwriter/recording artist
> Nashville, TN
>
>

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