Passover 2015

By , March 31, 2015 6:16 pm

Passover is all about retelling the story. And what better way to celebrate than to enjoy this modern day interpretation of an old story.

Our Passover gift to you! This Passover-themed parody of Uptown Funk by Six13. It is so catchy, it just might get stuck in your head all through Passover, which begins the evening of April 3 and ends the evening of April 11.

passover

The Recorded Sound Archives has compiled a mix of Passover songs that the whole family can enjoy.  From Cantorial splendor to children’s play-songs, music expresses the heart of the Jewish people. Give Jewish music a special place in your home for the  holidays.

In the past we’ve highlighted each album, individually, this year we’ve created a special collection featuring all of our passover music: https://rsa.fau.edu/passover-collection All the songs  in this compilation can be heard all year long on the RSA website.

Hit of the Week (1930 – 1932)

By , March 19, 2015 11:58 pm

Introduced in 1930 and discontinued in 1932, these records were made from a flexible synthetic resin (Durium) coasted on brown paper.

Introduced in 1930 and discontinued in 1932, these records were made from a flexible synthetic resin (Durium) coated on brown paper.

What are sound recordings made of?

Initially sound was recorded on wax cylinders. By the end of the 1920s, however, recordings were made of a heavy, fragile shellac compound.

Producers began looking for better options and started experimenting with materials that were lighter, flexible and less fragile.

One of these experiments, Hit of the Week records, were actually made of resin coated brown paper! This lightweight, flexible, “unbreakable” composition was unique and provided a 78 rpm recording with sound equal to or better than ordinary shellac.

Beginning in February 1930 a new recording featuring a current “hit” song was released each week. They were sold at newsstands, likemagazines, with past issues being available by mail order. They were recorded on one side only and sold for 15 to 20 cents per recording. The unrecorded side was often printed with advertising or the performer’s portrait. They had a tendency to curl up over time and came in flimsy rice paper sleeves.

The unrecorded paper side of Hit of the Week recordings were sometimes printed with advertising a performer’s portrait, in this case Morton Downey.

The unrecorded paper side of Hit of the Week recordings were sometimes printed with advertising a performer’s portrait, in this case Morton Downey.

These recordings were a big hit with the public in the early days of the Great Depression and provided easy, cheap entertainment to the masses. However, as the depression wore on sales slumped. the last Hit of the Week issue was released in June 1932.

The Recorded Sound Archives at FAU Libraries is pleased to share 39 of these original recordings with our website users. Due to US Copyright laws only 45-second snippets are available on our public website.  Full recordings are available to RSA Research Station users.

Click here to see and hear the Hit of the Week collection.

Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem

By , March 9, 2015 7:53 pm

theodore-bikel-in-the-shoes-of-sholom-aleichemPortraits of two beloved icons–Sholom Aleichem and Theodore Bikel–are woven together in this enchanting new documentary. The two men have much in common: wit, wisdom and talent, all shot through with deep humanity and Yiddishkeit.

Theodore Bikel, the unstoppable performer whose career spans more than 150 screen roles (including an Oscar-nominated turn in “The Defiant Ones”) and countless stage and musical productions, is also the foremost interpreter of Sholom Aleichem’s work. Now 90, Bikel has played Tevye the Milkman on stage more than 2,000 times, and he has animated Aleichem’s work through his creation of two celebrated musical plays about the great Russian author.

The new film Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem combines Bikel’s charismatic storytelling and masterful performances with a broader exploration of Aleichem’s remarkable life and work.

A pioneer of modern Jewish literature who championed and luxuriated in the Yiddish language, Sholom Aleichem created dozens of indelible characters. His Tevye the Milkman, Motl the Cantor’s Son, and Menachem Mendl–“shtetl Jews” for whom humor and pathos were two sides of the same Yiddish coin–remain invaluable windows into pre-war Eastern European Jewish life, real and imagined.

Watch the Trailer!

Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem (Trailer) from National Center for Jewish Film on Vimeo.

The National Center for Jewish Film is a unique, independent nonprofit motion picture archive and distributor. This month several screenings of Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem will be presented across Florida.

Below you will find information on these screenings and where tickets can be purchased.

jewish-film-festival

Sarasota, FL – March 8 & 10 2015
Jewish Film Festival of Sarasota-Manatee OPENING NIGHT WITH THEODORE BIKEL RECEPTION FOLLOWING Sunday, March 8, 6:30 pm at Hyatt Regency Sarasota Encore Screening (film only) Tuesday, March 10, 3pm at Jewish Federation See Festival website for tickets
tampa-jewish-film-festival Tampa, FL – Friday, March 13, 2015
Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival  Friday, March 13, 1:15 pm at Villagio Cinemas North Tampa Buy Tickets! LIMITED SEATING
movies-delray Delray Beach, FL  – March 13-19
Week Theatrical Run March 13-19 Tickets and showtimes coming soon!
movies-lake-worth Lake Worth, FL  – March 13-19
Week Theatrical Run March 13-19 Tickets and showtimes coming soon!

Live long and prosper – Leonard Nimoy

By , March 9, 2015 2:26 pm

Leonard-Nimoy

Did you know Star Trek’s Mr. Spock was Jewish?

Leonard Nimoy  passed away February 27, 2015 in Los Angeles at the age of 83.

The son of Yiddish speaking Orthodox Jewish immigrants from Iziaslav, Soviet Union, Nimoy began acting at the age of 8.

He starred in minor movie roles through the 1950s,  but he is probably best remembered for his role as Spock. Nimoy captivated audiences in his role as the half Vulcan, half human Spock in the original Star Trek TV series (1966-1969), and earned himself three Emmy nominations. He later appeared in numerous Star Trek and other films and directed Nimoy directed Star Trek III: The Search for Spock in 1984 and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home in 1986.

The Vulcan salute, which became identified with him was created by Nimoy from his childhood memories of the way kohanim (Jewish priests) hold their hand when giving blessings.

In the clip below Leonard Nimoy explains the origin of the Vulcan hand signal.


Video by Yiddish Book Center on Publish Date February 27, 2015.

Beyond acting and directing Nimoy was a recording artist and released five albums.

The Recorded Sound Archives at FAU Libraries is delighted to share the following recordings by Alberto Mizrahi and the Western Wind, featuring Leonard Nimoy as the narrator.

The Birth of the World, Part 1: Rosh Hashanah

The Birth of the World, Part 2: Yom Kippur

Taste of Eternity – A Musical Shabbat Part 1: Friday Night Service

Taste of Enternity – A Musical Shabbat, Part 2: Saturday Morning Service

Chanukah in Story and Song

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