Kol Ishah again

[Judith R. Cohen <judithc...>]

Hi, this is not to start another long thread, as there was one on this
last year, but I just wanted to let you know that this week the Holy
Blossom synagogue , where my daughter and I are doing a concert of
Sephardic music later this month, phoned the large Sephardic Kehillah
here in Toronto as part of their PR list. The Sephardic Kehillah told
them they could not publicize an event which featured - you guessed it -
a woman singing. This is about the fourth or fifth time this has
happened to me in the Toronto Sephardic community: particularly ironic,
since this is a repertoire kept alive by women such as the mothers,
grand-mothers, aunts (and in some cases wives) of the men who make these
decisions. Also ironic, because back in Morocco, where the community is
from , and not that long ago, just 2-3 decades in most cases - this
wasn't an issue and women even sang in at least one synagog8ue choir in
Tangier. 
However, several people from the Portuguese (non-Jewish) community are
coming, including the Consul - because after our concert of Portuguese
village songs last month they want to learn more about Portugal's Jewish
history! Take care, Judith

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