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If you like Jewish music, you will love A Bis’l Taam (A Little Flavor), JSA’s most recent compilation of songs now available on CD.
Recorded from early 20th century 78 rpm phonograph discs the album contains snippets of 21 songs. You will be amazed at the beautiful sound quality and the range of music.
It was the “last box packed.” Now it was the last box to be unpacked. After going through 156 boxes of Cantorial, Yiddish and English-language recordings from the collection of Chicago record producer Barry Serota we stared at this box and knew that once it was opened our job of unpacking would be complete.
However, our work organizing, describing and investigating the music was just beginning!
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.
What makes this holiday different from all other holidays?Growing up in a Jewish home has given me wonderful memories of the Passover holidays we celebrated when I was a child. Weeks before Passover my mother would start liberating the Pesach tableware from the nooks and corners where they had been stashed since last year. The whole house had to be cleaned. When we were done, of course, not a crumb of chametz remained. And the cooking and baking! I can still close my eyes and imagine the wonderful aromas that emanated from my mother’s kitchen. Matzo meal cookies were my favorites. It was my job to stick a finger in the center of the cookie mixture and then fill the indentation with a bit of strawberry jam.
Now my grand-daughter helps her mother make the cookies. The cast has changed but the play is the same. One generation passes customs and traditions on to the next.
As part of its KULTUR Festival FAU Libraries will honor and highlight some of the JSA’s favorite performers. See below for a partial list of some of the wonderful events.
FAU Wimberly Library 5th Floor, Boca Raton, FL
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