[HANASHIR:8032] Re: What makes a song Jewish (Tu B'Shevat songs)

[Andy Curry <acurry...>]

Shirona, Karen, et al,

My .02.

To me the more important question is whether this song or that song really
can be connected to, in this case, Tu Bishvat.  The Torah tells us that a
tree must be a certain age before we can use its fruit.  Well, are we
supposed to keep track of each tree's "birthday"?  That's difficult.  So,
let's just pick a date and call it the birthday of EACH of our trees.
That's Tu Bishvat in a nutshell (he he).  Not a particularly significant
milestone for most of us, unless we happen to own fruit trees.

Just as, through the centuries, we changed Shavuot from an agrarian-based
observance to one which celebrates the giving/receiving of Torah (we had to
do something with it because the Torah tells us to observe it!), Tu
Bishvat's meaning has changed.  It seems to have become the Jewish "Earth
Day."

There's nothing wrong with that as long as we acknowledge it and decide
consciously that that's what it's going to be.  It's a great opportunity to
point out the JEWISH mitzvot concerning taking care of the Earth.  My
problem with the way it's been taught is that most Jews, it seems, have no
knowledge of its origin, which in itself illustrates beautifully how our
sages went about creating systems whereby we could follow Torah.

So what am I trying to say?  Sing any song you want about our God-given
responsibility to be good shepherds to God's creation; but, amidst all the
"fuzziness", make sure students know that the DAY is JEWISH and that we can
be proud of it.

Returning to lurk mode,
Andy


At 11:42 AM 1/24/01 -0800, you wrote:
>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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