[HANASHIR:8037] Re: What makes a song Jewish (Tu B'Shevat songs)

[Freedabet <Freedabet...>]

I think Karen's point is not that songs should be 'purely' Jewish or should 
not draw from outside influence, but that we should try to use music that 
teaches something.  The examples you gave have Hebrew lyrics, which 
automatically gives them more value in my book.

So, a song where the only connection is that the composers are Jewish would 
be way down on my list unless I the subject were Jewish Composers of Secular 
Music.

-------- REPLY, Original message follows --------

> Date: Wednesday, 24-Jan-01 11:44 AM
> 
> From: shirona                  \ Internet:    (shirona (at) 
> bellatlantic(dot)net)
> To:   Hanashir Mail Server     \ Internet:    (hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org)
> 
> Subject:  [HANASHIR:8031] Re: What makes a song Jewish (Tu B'Shevat songs)
> 
> Sender: owner-hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> Reply-to:       hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> To:     hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> 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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