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Blanche Serota visited the JSA in February 2011 to arrange for the donation of her son’s personal record collection to the Judaica Sound Archives at FAU Libraries.
Mrs. Serota was clearly still grieving over the loss of her son, lawyer and record producer, Barry Serota, when she visited the JSA. She told me that her son was never interested in making money. He collected and produced Jewish music recordings just for the love of it.
When Barry Serota’s life suddenly ended because of a heart attack in November 2009, the world of recorded Jewish music lost one of its most respected professionals.
Barry Serota, a practicing attorney and executive director of the Institute for Jewish Sound Recording, died suddenly November 16, 2009 on a plane flight between New York and Madrid on the way to Israel.
In 1990 Jacquie Sussholz produced Yiddish Is Forever, a 3-CD album composed of 48 songs. From songs of praise to songs of love, from songs of heartbreak and sorrow to songs of celebration, Yiddish songs have a special quality that pulls at the heart-strings.
Jacquie Sussholz honors his heritage and recreates an authentic yet up-to-date sound with his music. “My style is soul with passion – I express the spirit of traditional songs, but in arrangements that are modern and exciting.”
Although the Judaica Sound Archives does not collect or preserve video materials we LOVE watching some of the wonderful clips on YouTube. Supporters and friends of the JSA often send us links to film clips that they think we will enjoy. Here are some of our favorites. What are yours?
Connie Francis released this album of Jewish songs in 1960. She talks about how much Jewish music has meant to her in this video. Click here. (3 min.)
Coming from a long line of distinguished cantors it probably should be no surprise that Cantor Deborah Katchko-Gray has devoted her life to the cantorial arts. Her understanding of the special challenges for female cantors, along with a desire to encourage others, resulted in her organizing the Women Cantors’ Network in 1982. At that time there was a great need for mutual support as female cantors generally faced exclusion from the cantorial community. Although women cantors, today, are accepted into all liberal cantorial schools and organizations the WCN continues to offer encouragement and support for women who want to participate in cantorial music.
Today Cantor Katchko-Gray carries on her family’s tradition at Temple Shearith Israel in Ridgefield, CT, where she has been cantor since 1999. Incredibly multi-talented Cantor Katchko-Gray has a repertoire that ranges from traditional liturgical solemnity to light-hearted songs for children and comedy.
