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In This Issue
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Josh Jacobson's Musings
Hot Off the Press
Auditions
Upcoming Concerts
Spring Roundup
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AUDITION FOR ZAMIR!
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If you are an experienced singer with a strong choral background, consider joining the Zamir Chorale of Boston. All voice parts welcome (especially sopranos)!
Auditions for the 2016-17 season will be held:
Monday, September 26
7:00 - 9:30 pm
Hebrew College
160 Herrick Road, Newton Centre
Auditions are by appointment only
In addition to the audition, candidates are required to attend open rehearsals at Hebrew College on
Tuesday, September 13
and
Tuesday, September 20
7:15 - 10:00 pm
Candidates must have excellent vocal quality, the ability to sightread music, and previous choral experience.
Additional details will be posted on the Zamir
website in July.
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Spring Roundup
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Yehezkel Braun Tribute Stirs Audiences at Brandeis
Slosberg Recital Hall at Brandeis University was filled to capacity on June 5 and 6 for our season finale, "The Gentle Spirit of Israel: A Tribute to Israeli Composer Yehezkel Braun." The multifaceted program featured popular songs as well as major works for
chorus, performed a cappella and with instrumental accompaniment. Cantor Louise Treitman, soprano, and Edwin Swanborn, piano, performed a stirring song cycle, "Shirey Ha-Yonah Ve-Ha-Shoshan." The high point was Braun's six-movement "Hilkhot Tekyat Shofar" (Festive Horns) with eight stellar brass players. A brass-choral arrangement of Braun's ebullient "Halleluyah" topped off the evening. The audiences were also treated to a slide show of texts and translations, along with archived photos of the honored composer.
Cantor Spierer Joins Zamir at Congregation Beth Elohim
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Cantor Sarra Spierer with Josh Jacobson and Zamir
Photo by Mickey Goldin
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On May 22, alum Cantor Sarra Spierer and Zamir friend Rabbi Lewis Mintz hosted the Chorale for a spirited concert at Congregation Beth Elohim in Acton, Mass. The program covered four centuries and diverse styles, from folk to jazz to liturgical to Yiddish. Cantor Spierer served as soloist for several tunes, including "Kafe BeKef," "Abi Gezint," and "Aval Ahava" in duet with Larry Sandberg. The Beth Elohim choir joined Zamir for several selections, including "LeDor VaDor" and "Sim Shalom," and Rabbi Mintz soloed in "Alle Brider." Thank you, Rabbi Mintz and Cantor Spierer, for a delightful, harmonious reunion!
"Divine Majesty" Encore in the Back Bay
On April 14, an enthusiastic audience enjoyed a reprise of "Divine Majesty: A Glorious Revival of 19th-Century Synagogue Music," at the Central Reform Temple of Boston. The program featured settings of the Torah Service by the great 19th-century composers Louis Lewandowski, Salomon Sulzer, and Samuel Naumbourg. Prior to the concert, Zamir accompanist and organist Edwin Swanborn performed Lewandowski's "Holiday Preludes" on Emmanuel's magnificent organ.
The "Divine Majesty" series is made possible by an anonymous underwriter, in memory of Mary Wolfman Epstein and Cantor Barney Mould.
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Fun Fotos from the Archives
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At Sanders Theatre, 2008
Photo by Mickey Goldin
 Singing
with Solomon Schechter students, 2007
At Andover Newton Theological Seminary, 2007
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Summertime greetings! We're still catching our breath after the fabulous experience of performing Yehezkel Braun's music to packed houses at Brandeis University in
early June. In a couple of weeks, we'll head out to the Catskills to perform at the North American Jewish Choral Festival and then take a little break before jumping in to our 48th season in the fall. Be sure to save the dates for next year's offerings, listed below. Also in this issue, Artistic Director Josh Jacobson,
who just received an honorary degree from Hebrew College
(see "Hot Off the Press"), reflects on the
subject of assimilation and acculturation in Jewish music.
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| JOSH JACOBSON'S MUSINGS |
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In each issue of E-Notes, Artistic Director Joshua Jacobson offers his unique insights and experiences as a world-renowned scholar, composer, conductor, and influential teacher of Jewish music.
Earlier this month I was thrilled
 to be presented with an honorary doctorate at Hebrew College's Commencement. My connection with the institution goes back more than
50 years, to my classes at the Prozdor High School; nine summers as a camper and counselor at Camp Yavneh; and, since 1992, training cantorial students at the School of Jewish Music.
I am grateful to my fellow honorees, Rabbi David Ellenson and Jane Eisner
, for calling to my attention the commencement address given by Gerson Cohen at the College just 50 years ago. The controversial title of this address was "The Blessing of Assimilation in Jewish History." Rabbi Cohen made the case that Jewish culture has been enriched by its borrowings from the nations among which we have lived. He reminded us that many traditional Jewish names are actually borrowed from other nations, including Moses and Aaron (Egyptian) and Daniel (Babylonian). Jewish languages such as Yiddish and Ladino are based on those of our neighbors. 
Many of our foundation myths, such as Noah and the Flood, are based on the mythology of other peoples. The Passover seder is modeled after a Greek symposium. The Haskalah movement was inspired by and modeled after the European Enlightenment. And the Jewish nationalistic movements of the late 19th century were motivated by contemporary political foment in Eastern Europe. Reform Judaism was in many respects modeled after Luther's reforms of Christianity. And the unique apparel worn by many ultra-Orthodox Jews today
(pictured above) is an imitation of the sartorial styles of 18th-century Polish nobility.
It occurs to me that the music of the Jewish
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Debbie Friedman
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people has also been particularly enriched through its contact with foreign styles. Many traditional Ashkenazic synagogue melodies were based on German folk songs, including the High Holiday mode for the evening service, the High Holiday melody for "Aleynu," and the well-known melody for "Maoz Tsur."
(Click on the underlined titles to hear recorded examples.)
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Joan Baez
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The Chabad Hassidim intentionally "converted" secular melodies to devotional niggunim and synagogue tunes. The wedding dances of klezmer musicians are based on the traditional dances of Eastern Europe. The national anthem of the State of Israel is an adaptation of a Moldavian farmer's song, and a great deal of contemporary Israeli pop music bears the hallmarks of Greek and Arabic song. Two of the greatest contributors to late-20th-century synagogue song, Shlomo Carlebach and Debbie Friedman, were inspired by and modeled their melodies after the music of the 1960s American folk music revival movement.
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"While 'assimilation' may convey the dangers of erosion and extinction, 'acculturation' bespeaks mutual enrichment and renewed vitality."
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We find the same phenomenon in the arena of "classical" music. The early-17th-century composer
Salamone Rossi wrote that he took the best ideas of Italian secular and sacred music and used them to enhance the synagogue liturgy. In the 19th century,
Salomon Sulzer in Vienna and
Louis Lewandowski in Berlin brought the sounds of Christian Europe into their synagogues, and many of their compositions are now considered traditional. At the turn of the 20th century, a group of young composers in
St. Petersburg, Russia, were the first to fuse the concept of concert music with the words and music of the Jewish people. And their work in turn inspired composers such as
Ernest Bloch,
Leonard Bernstein
, and
Steve Reich to bring Jewish culture to the stage of Symphony Hall.
While "assimilation" may convey the dangers of erosion and extinction, "acculturation" bespeaks mutual enrichment and renewed vitality. The Zamir Chorale of Boston presents Jewish music in choral concerts--the very idea of a formal concert is a construct borrowed from our neighbors. But acculturation is a two-way street--we reach out to our choral neighbors and make them aware of our own musical gems. One of my greatest pleasures is when I see our repertoire being programmed by school and college chorales, community choruses, and even church choirs. I think Gerson Cohen would be pleased, as well.
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| HOT OFF THE PRESS |
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JOSH JACOBSON RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE
Artistic Director Joshua R. Jacobson was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Hebrew College at its 91st Commencement on June 6. Josh has long been affiliated with Hebrew College; he graduated from the Prozdor high school program in 1965, spent nine summers at Camp Yavneh, and for many years has been a visiting professor and senior consultant at the College's School of Jewish Music. Josh served
briefly as the school's acting dean and was instrumental in developing the College's cantor-educator program. In 1994, Josh was awarded Hebrew College's Benjamin J. Shevach Award for distinguished achievement in Jewish educational leadership.
Honorary degrees were
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From left to right: Rabbi David Ellenson, Diane Troderman, Josh Jacobson, Jane Eisner, Rabbi Daniel Lehmann, and Harold G. Kotler, chairman of the board of Hebrew College
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also awarded to Rabbi David Ellenson, chancellor emeritus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion; Diane Troderman, former chair of Jewish Education Service of North America; and Jane Eisner, Editor-in-Chief of
The Forward.
In introducing Josh at the ceremony, Hebrew College's president, Rabbi Daniel Lehmann, said, "For his lifelong dedication to Jewish music, education and culture, we present Dr. Joshua Jacobson with the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa." Mazel tov, Josh. The entire Zamir community is proud of you and wishes you well.
CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE, COMING SOON!
Zamir's website is undergoing a face lift! We hope to go live next week. Watch your email for details.
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UPCOMING CONCERTS
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Sunday, July 10, evening, North American Jewish Choral Festival, Kerhonkson, NY:
New Yorkers! If you're anywhere near the Catskills, be sure to attend this year's NAJCF. Zamir will perform on the opening night of the annual choral festival, now in its 27th year. Much gratitude, as always, to Mati Lazar, founder and director of the Zamir Choral Foundation, for inviting us back to this special gathering of choral musicians from all over the country. For details, visit the
Zamir Choral Foundation.
PREVIEW OF 2016-17 SEASON (FULL DETAILS IN OUR NEXT ISSUE)
Monday, November 14, 7:30 pm,
"The Majesty of
Hallel," Temple Shalom, 175 Temple St, Newton. This concert is a continuation of our
"Divine Majesty" series.
Sunday, December 11, 4:00 pm, Concert at Beth El Temple Center, 2 Concord Ave, Belmont.
Sunday, December 18, 4:00 pm,
"A Light Through the Ages," Hanukkah concert at Central Reform Temple, 15 Newbury St, Boston.
Sunday, March 19, 2017, 4:00 pm, "Psalmsensation," joint concert with Falmouth (Mass.) Chorale.
Wednesday, June 14, 7:30 pm, "Awe-Psalm," spring concert Wednesday honoring board chair Robert Snyder, Temple Emanuel, 385 Ward St, Newton.
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| KEEP IN TOUCH! |
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As always, let us know what you're up to--we love hearing from our friends near and far.
Have a peaceful, healthy, and happy summer!
Barbara Gaffin
Deborah Sosin
Managing Director Editor, E-Notes
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