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By Recorded Sound Archives, February 14, 2012 3:25 pm

Sam Greene was the first volunteer at the Judaica Sound Archives.

Sam Greene

Jan. 11, 1923 – Feb. 8, 2012

It saddens my heart to think that Sam will no longer be here at the Judaica Sound Archives. Sam Greene was a dedicated JSA volunteer who began offering his assistance in 2002. He unpacked recordings, examined them and checked databases. Because of his language skills he was often called upon to provide English translations of Yiddish, Hebrew  or German songs and text.

Sam was a wonderful singer and would often spontaneously serenade us with songs. Always upbeat, pleasant and fun to be around, the JSA volunteers and staff  looked forward to his visits. Sam made me smile. As a survivor of the Holocaust he was very familiar with difficult times.  Yet, he cherished life and  and enjoyed sharing his good humor with all those around him. Sam was especially fond of this song, Der Rebbe Elimelech.

Here is how JSA sound technician, Ben Roth-Aroni, remembers him.” Sam was already volunteering at the JSA when I first got here in 2004. I liked him right away. He was warm and friendly and there was something about his voice that welcomed you. I especially looked forward to the days that he would volunteer so I could speak some Hebrew with him which was great. He loved to help me with translations and I was always happy for the help. It was obvious how much he enjoyed his work – always singing along with songs that needed to be identified. I will miss him terribly and remember him with love.”

Sam Green is survived by his daughter, his son, three grandchildren and three great grandchildren. He brought smiles to so many.  He will be very missed.

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By Alethea Perez, October 6, 2011 9:20 am

Sometimes the unexpected comes with the daily mail. This recent addition arrived just in time for Yom Kippur. It  features Nicolas Jolliet a talented guitarist, sitarist,  and composer.

The Kol Nidre has fascinated composers for centuries. Now it has caught the attention of Guitarist and Sitarist Nicolas Jolliet. Using the sitar, surbahar, tabla, oud, dumbek and other exotic instruments, this CD was recorded on the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia, and evolves from traditional ragas into a seductive Reggae beat. The subject of a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation documentary, it was played at a Yom Kippur service held at a U.S. base in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

The Jolliet Kol Nidre was written in two parts. The first,  although  innovative, closely follows the original. The second part is a freer interpretation using the richly textured sounds of the East.  Click here to listen to this beautiful rendition of one of Judaica’s most iconic songs.

The producer, Harold Levy, has made the piece available free of charge on Soundcloud’s website.  Information on how to purchase this album can be found at Kolnidre.org.

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By Recorded Sound Archives, September 19, 2011 4:05 pm

New for the Holidays! This recently added album features music composed especially for the High Holy Days by Cantor Meir Finkelstein who also conducts the orchestra. It features the voices of Cantor Udi Spielman and his wife Varda.

Cantor Spielman and Cantor Finkelstein have partnered many times in the past with great success. Together they create a distinctive cantorial sound that is at once modern and traditional.

A Still, Small Voice Is Heard was recorded about a year ago with restricted distribution, mostly to members of the congregation of B’nai Torah in Boca Raton. The title of the album refers to the story of Elijah who did not hear the voice of God in the wind that whipped him, the earthquake that shook the mountain he stood on, or the fire which raged around him. But, in the calm after the fire Elijah heard a still, small voice and knew that God was with him.

Click here to listen to all of Cantor Spielman’s recordings.

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By Recorded Sound Archives, September 15, 2011 3:01 pm

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.

This CD is not for sale.  It cannot be purchased anywhere.  It is ONLY available to JSA members. When you become a member of the JSA* ($36) you become eligible to receive this wonderful CD containing digitized portions of songs from the Yiddish theater, folk songs, cantorial masterpieces, klezmer, and music performed by Jewish artists. A special link has been created for members only so that you can hear each song in its entirety on the internet.

This CD heritage album contains performances by Cantor B. Chagy, Kandel’s Orchestra, David Medoff, Morris Goldstein. Benny Bell, Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, Mischa Elman, Jascha Heifetz, Cantor J. Rosenblatt, Cantor G. Sirota, Cantor S. Kwartin and many others.

Celebrate the New Year by becoming a member of the JSA and enjoy your Jewish music heritage all year long!

To find out more about JSA Thank You gifts: click here.

*The portion of your payment that qualifies as a charitable contribution will be reflected on the receipt you receive from the FAU Foundation Inc. The amount of your payment that exceeds the fair market value of any consideration you received in the form of privileges or other benefits will be the amount that may be deductible as a charitable contribution. Consult with your tax advisor for deductibility of your charitable gift.

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By Recorded Sound Archives, August 25, 2011 12:21 pm

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!

Barry Serota, had devoted his life to collecting great Jewish music and producing high-quality recordings. Although we knew that this was a wonderful donation to the Judaica Sound Archives, we really couldn’t be sure what treasures we would find. As it turns out, we couldn’t be more pleased!

Of the 1,513 LPs that were unpacked we found at least 100 that were still in their original cellophane wrappers. There were also a few 45 rpm records, over seven hundred 78 rpm discs, 101 digital tapes, and 1,443 audio reel-to-reel tapes.

Benedict Stambler, founder of the Collector’s Guild recording company, had been Barry Serota’s mentor and friend. We were delighted to uncover several test pressings from the Collector’s Guild Archives Limited Edition series. There were numerous other test pressings as well, a few of them acetate.

Test pressings include: an acetate pressing of a synagogue service  radio broadcast led by Cantor Dale Lind made in 1941, a live concert by Cantor David Kousevitsky that was recorded in 1968, and a concert of folk songs by Rosenblatt.

The JSA has now been able to create a special collection of about 60 albums on the Musique Internationale label. This rare collection of recordings by a dedicated lover of Jewish music can now be enjoyed around the world on the JSA website.

The Judaica Sound Archives has greatly enhanced its already extensive collection of Judaic music with this acquisition and we are delighted to be able to share it with you. Recordings that cannot be played on the website due to copyrights will be made available on the JSA Scholar’s Research Station.

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By Recorded Sound Archives, June 13, 2011 2:50 pm

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?

The following YouTube videos indicate that you don’t have to be Jewish to love Jewish music…..

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.)

If you haven’t heard Tom Jones singing My Yiddishe Momma you are in for a treat.  Click here. (2 min, 33 sec.)

Charles Aznavour also sings My Yiddishe Momma. He not onlymakes this rendition totally his own he also makes it powerful and totally unique.  I love this recording.  Click here. (6 min, 32 sec.)

We all love Julie Andrews.  Did you ever wonder what it would be like if she sang at a Jewish wedding?  Well, now you know! Click here. (4 min., 24 sec.)

Prof. Josh Kun discusses the meaning and importance of Hava Negila. Leonard Nimoy, Irving Fields, Harry Bellafonte and many others add their talents. Click here. (9 min.)

Sophie Tucker sings her iconic rendition of My Yiddishe Momma in this clip. Click here. (7 min., 9 sec.)

Think you’ve heard it all?  Here is a new perspectives on some old Jewish music.

Meshugga Beach Party performs Sholem Aleichem like you have never heard it before. Click here.  (2 min., 12 sec.)

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By Recorded Sound Archives, May 31, 2011 10:50 am

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.

Cantor Katchko-Gray honors her family heritage by adding her voice to those of Cantor Theodore Katchko and Cantor Adolph Katchko on the album Three Generations of Cantorial Art.

The Judaica Sound Archives features five of Cantor Katchko-Gray’s albums. Please click here and enjoy them all.

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By Recorded Sound Archives, April 8, 2011 8:37 am

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.

Music helps us to remember the past  while celebrating the present. The JSA has compiled this special mix of holiday songs for you to enjoy. Many of this year’s tunes were on last year’s Passover Music Mix, but there are also a few new  ones.  These songs were selected from albums on the JSA website.  They are for your listening pleasure only.  They may not be copied, reproduced or sold.

All of the songs in this music mix can be heard on the JSA website all year long. Selections from the following albums were used to create this 2011 Passover Music Mix.

Around the Table – A User-friendly Haggadah by Gadi Elon

Celebrate with Cindy by Cindy Paley.

Haggadah Songs by Chaim Parchi.

Psalm Songs from Rock Creek by Cantor David Schneyer.

Mostly Matzoh by Fran Avni.

The Passover Collection by Safam.

Passover Seder Service by Cantor Samuel Malavsky and the Family Choir.

Passover Sing-a-long can be found in the Children’s Village record label collection.

A Singing Seder by Cindy Paley.

Songs My Bubbe Should Have Taught Me by Lori Cahan-Simon can be found in the JSA participating performers collection.

Songs of the Haggadah by Cantor Benjamin Maissner.

Canciones de Pesah/Passover Songs by Gaston Bogomolni can be found in the JSA participating performers collection.

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By Recorded Sound Archives, February 24, 2011 1:15 pm

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.

Saturday, March 5 at 7 pm

FAU Wimberly Library 5th Floor, Boca Raton, FL

Singing in the Dark starring Moyishe Oysher

This 1956 movie was Moishe Oysher’s only English-language film.

Click to hear Moishe Oysher’s online music collection.

Sunday, March 6 at 3 pm

Carole & Barry Kaye Auditorium, FAU Boca Raton Campus

Klezmerology

This main event concert features the 25-member KCO orchestra under the direction of Aaron Kula , Director of Music Collections and Performance at FAU Libraries.

Click to hear KCO’s online album.

Click to browse JSA’s online klezmer collection.

Tuesday, March 8 at 2 pm

FAU Wimberly Library 5th Floor, Boca Raton, FL

Zingen un Zogn: Songs & Stories, Phyllis Berk and Roslyn Perry

Yiddishkeit sung and told by two sisters.

Click to hear Phyllis Berk’s online album.

Click to browse JSA’s online Yiddish music collection.

Wednesday, March 9 at 2 pm

FAU Wimberly Library 5th Floor,Boca Raton, FL

Jewish Woman in Song with Helene Williams (soprano) and Leonard Lehrman (piano)

Songs and lecture that celebrate great Jewish women entertainers.

Click to hear Molly Picon’s original album online.

Thursday, March 10 at 7:30pm

Live Oak Pavilion, FAU Boca Raton Campus

Sephardic Soul: The Joe Elias Memorial Concert

The Susana Behar Sephardic Music Ensemble and the Elias Ladino Ensemble, led by Daniel Elias will honor the memory of Joe Elias, a leading American Sephardic musician of the 20th century.

Click to hear the Elias Ladino Ensemble’s online music collection.

Click to browse JSA’s online Ladino/Sephardic collection.

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By Recorded Sound Archives, December 14, 2010 10:42 am

What is a renaissance man? According to the dictionary a renaissance  man  is someone who is knowledgeable, educated, and proficient in a wide range of fields. Al Drucker was such a man.

A graduate of Adelphi University, he pursued a career in engineering. He eventually got a job with Grumman where he helped design the guidance system for the lunar lander.

Throughout his life he expressed his love of science and math and engineering by working on fix-it projects.  He loved to use engineering principles to solve practical problems.

A true renaissance man, he was not only creative in the engineering and science fields, he was creative in the arts as well. He loved to paint, was an accomplished photographer, and sang in the synagogue choir.

His grandchildren called him “Albert Einstein” because they thought he was a genius who often involved them in science “projects.” He was not only a genius.  He was a genius who enjoyed using his knowledge to help others. After he moved to Florida he started a small business to coach seniors how to use their computers. He was always available to friends and neighbors when they needed help.

What attracted Al to the Judaica Sound Archives at FAU Libraries? Was it his love of Jewish music? His desire to be a part of an historic cultural preservation project? The inclination to help in whatever way he could? For many years Al was a dedicated volunteer at the JSA. He did many jobs and helped out in many ways.

One day he noticed that we were having trouble cleaning 78 rpm recordings, some of which were over 100 years old. These fragile discs accumulated dirt in their grooves which interfered with our efforts to get good sound quality when we digitized them. We had purchased a commercial product designed for this purpose but found that all it did was make mud out of the dirt which then only made matters worse.

Al designed a sonic multi-record cleaner using the same technology that jewelers use for cleaning fine jewelry. With this problem solved, the JSA was able to greatly speed up the process of getting the music out of the trash and onto the website.

Al was 88 years old. All of us at the Judaica Sound Archives are deeply saddened by his passing.

Al Drucker (left) with sonic record cleaner he invented