Comments (0)

By Recorded Sound Archives, April 4, 2013 4:51 pm

There are few stories which affect us as powerfully as the story of the sinking of the Titanic.

It is a story of arrogance, pomposity, and cruel disregard for human life.

It is a story of bravery, compassion and self-sacrifice.

It is a story about horrible deaths.

It is a story of survival.

The British ship Titanic sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912 after colliding with an iceberg only four days into her maiden voyage. The sinking of the Titanic caused the deaths of 1,502 of the 2,224 passengers and crew she carried.

Noted for its luxury and opulence the Titanic had a swimming pool, first-class restaurants, and every modern convenience of the time. She carried hundreds of emigrants on their way to North America and also some of the wealthiest people in the world. This unsinkable vessel also carried only enough lifeboats for 1,178 souls.

On April 14, 1912 the Titanic hit an iceberg. The ship gradually filled with water. First class women and children were hurriedly loaded into lifeboats.  When the ship finally broke apart and foundered there were still over a thousand people aboard.  Two hours later the RMS Carpathia was able to rescue 705 survivors.

The disaster was greeted with worldwide shock and outrage at the huge loss of life and the procedural failures that had led to it. It is suspected that over 100 Jews died on the Titanic, many of them poor immigrants on their way to America. Others were crew members and also wealthy, prominent Jews who occupied first-class cabins. Jewish first-class passengers, Ida and Abraham Straus went down with the ship along with Jewish millionaire Benjamin Guggenheim.

Cantor Josef (Yossele) Rosenblatt, being a man of great heart, felt called upon to reach out with help for all those who had lost loved ones in the tragedy. Raising his powerful voice in song, he recorded “El mole rachmin (fur Titanic)” for Victor records soon afterwards. Record sales soared and Rosenblatt was able to collect over $150,000 in royalties, which was promptly donated to help the bereaved  families.  Click  to hear original recording.

English translation: Exalted, compassionate God,  grant perfect peace in Your sheltering Presence, among the holy and the pure,  to the souls of all our beloved who have gone to their eternal home. May their  memory endure as inspiration for deeds  of charity and goodness in our lives.  May their souls thus be bound up in the  bond of life. May they rest in peace.  And let us say: Amen.

The American Jewish community was especially touched by the bravery and death of Ida Straus who chose to die alongside her husband. Solomon Smulewitz, a prolific writer for the Yiddish theater, wrote “Der Naser Kaver (The Watery Grave)” a graphic and moving song about the tragic event. Click to hear the original recording.

English translation: There stand, in woe/The thousands in need/And know that death/will dash them down/Then they cry, “Save yourselves/into the boats quickly, women/No man dare/ Take a place tbere.”/But listen to one woman-soul/who can say/”I won’t stir from the spot/I’ll die here with my husband.”/Let small and great honor/the name of Ida Straus! (from Tenement Songs by Mark Slobin; 1982).

PLEASE click here  to hear FAU’s Recorded Sound Archives compilation of  14 original songs from the Titanic Era.

Comments (0)

By Recorded Sound Archives, March 20, 2013 11:31 am

See the movie about a song we all know.

This documentary is filled with nostalgia, humor, “Who knew?” information and old home movie clips (I could swear I saw my Aunt Sadie dancing at a Bar Mitzvah!)

Tracing the origins of Hava Nagila from the shtetls of Europe to Israel, and on to New York and Los Angeles, we come to understand how this song became a part of our family turning up at every Bar Mitzvah and wedding.

Cameos by Connie Francis, Harry Bellafonte, Irving Fields, Leonard Nimoy, and Glen Campbell feel like visits with old friends. Want a feel-good movie that will touch your heart? This movie is a must-see for anyone who knows how to dance the hora!

CLICK here for showtimes and tickets

777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431 •

561.549.2600

Comments (0)

By Recorded Sound Archives, March 11, 2013 3:38 pm

Ma Nishtana (מה נשתנה‎) is also known as The Four Questions.

Recited by the youngest child at the table it evokes our own childhood experience and the pride we felt participating in the family seder.

Sung by Fran Avni’s Singing Children’s Chorus

Mah nishtanah, ha-laylah ha-zeh,mi-kol ha-leylot?

She-b’khol ha-leylot ‘anu ‘okhlin chameytz u-matzah, ha-laylah ha-zeh, kulo matzah?

She-b’khol ha-leylot ‘anu ‘okhlin sh’ar y’raqot, ha-laylah ha-zeh, maror?

She-b’khol ha-leylot ‘eyn ‘anumatbilin ‘afilu pa`am ‘achat, ha-laylah ha-zeh, shtey fe`amim?

She-b’khol ha-leylot ‘anu ‘okhlin beyn yoshvin u-veyn m’subin, ha-laylah ha-zeh, kulanu m’subin?

Dayenu (דַּיֵּנוּ) is a song of gratitude for all the gifts that God has given us.

It is more than a thousand years old.

Sung by Chaim Parchi

Ilu ilu hotzianu hotzianu mimitzrayim, v’lo asah bahem sh’fatim, dayeinu!

Ilu ilu asah  bahem , asah bahem sh’fatim v’lo asah be’eloheihem, dayeinu!

Di-di-yeinu! Di-di- yeinu! Di-di-yeinu! Dayeinu, dayeinu, dayeinu!

Di-di-yeinu! Di-di-yeinu! Di-di-yeinu! Dayeinu, dayeinu!

Adir Hu (אדיר הוּא) “Mighty is He” is a hymn traditionally sung towards the end of the Seder.

Performed by Safam, music by Shlomo Carlebach

Adir hy yivneh beito Yivneh beito beito b’karov

El b’nei, el b’nei, b’nei beitcha b’karov,

Bimhera bimhera bimhera b’karov.

Chad Gadya (גדי אחד) “One Little Goat” is a playful song popular with the children.

It is sung at the end of the seder.

Sung by Ralph Levitan

Chad gadya, chad gadya. Chad gadya, chad gadya,

Dizabin abah dizabin abah dizabin abah bitrei zuzei.

Chad gadya, chad gadya.

Ve-ata shunra ve-akhlah le-gadya,

Dizabin abba bitrei zuzei.

Chad gadya, chad gadya, ve-ata kalba ve-nashakh le-shunra, de-akhlah le-gadya.

Echad Mi Yodea (אחד מי יודע) is a cumulative song meaning that each verse is built upon the previous one.

There are thirteen verses in all.

Sung by Deborah Katchko-Gray

Sung by Deborah Katchko-Gray

English Translation:

Who knows one?

I know one.

One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows two?

I know two.

Two are the tablets of the covenant;

One is our God, in heaven and on earth……..

Who knows thirteen?

I know thirteen.

Thirteen are the temperaments of God;

Twelve are the tribes of Israel;

Eleven are the stars of Joseph‘s dream;

Ten are the [Ten] Commandments;

Nine are the months of pregnancy;

Eight are the days of circumcision;

Seven are the days of the week;

Six are the books of the Mishnah;

Five are the books of the Torah;

Four are the Matriarchs;

Three are the Patriarchs;

Two are the tablets of the covenant;

One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Comments (0)

By Recorded Sound Archives, February 18, 2013 3:19 pm

March 2 – 8, 2013

Click here for full information about all Kultur events

 2nd Avenue Jazz n’ Jive

   Aaron Kula’s KCO

   Sunday, 3/3/13 @ 3pm

   Carole & Barry Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium

   FAU Boca Raton Campus

My Friends Leonard Bernstein & Aaron Copland

Martin Bookspan

Tuesday, 3/5/13 @ 2pm

Wimberly Library 5th floor

FAU Boca Raton Campus

  KLEZMEROLA: Yiddish Music on the Pianola

   Bob Berkman

   Friday, 3/8/13 @ 2pm

   Wimberly Library 5th floor

   FAU Boca Raton Campus

   Click here to listen to Bob Berkman recordings

   Click here to find out more about experiencing “nostalgia with a twist”, old time good fun and a virtuoso performance unlike anything you have heard before.

Tickets: click here                                          Call 1-800-564-9539

Comments (0)

By Recorded Sound Archives, February 7, 2013 12:34 pm

For five generations, the Lind Family, descended from Belzer Hassidim in Galicia, sang the songs of the synagogue. It was from this lineage that Joshua Lind (1890—1973) rose to prominence as a composer, cantor and teacher. Joining his father’s synagogue choir at the age of 5, young David Lind quickly became a Cantorial wunderkind touring the country and recording for RCA Victor.

Together with his brothers, Murray and Phil, David formed the Lind Brothers Trio in 1937. They became quite popular performing a repertoire especially created for them by their father, Cantor Joshua Lind.

The Trio not only had great success in the pulpit, they also became well-known popular entertainers, appearing in night clubs, on the radio, on TV, and in films (Universal International Pictures).

During WWII David and his brothers entertained troops and shared the stage with such stars as Danny Kaye and Betty Hutton. Following the war they headlined in Las Vegas, Hollywood, and on Broadway.

Dale eventually returned to Chicago to pursue a career as a solo performer and cantor, officiating at the Congregation Sons of Joshua since 1974.

Click to hear Cantor Lind’s recordings.

Comments (0)

By Recorded Sound Archives, January 2, 2013 2:03 pm

If you can remember the 1940s and 1950s then you are old enough to remember the heyday of vinyl children’s records. Perhaps you sat for hours on end listening to the phonograph as its spinning turntable produced stories and songs that only seemed to improve  with each playing. This was the golden age  of American vintage kiddie recordings.

Yet, it took a pioneer to ask: why not create kiddie records that would be relevant for Jewish children?

Gladys Gewirtz was that pioneer. She was the first to create recordings specifically for Jewish youngsters. Together with her sister, Roz Grossman, they produced recordings based on familiar fairy tales and nursery rhymes.

Many performers have created Jewish children’s records since that time. The Judaica Sound Archives is delighted to share with you its collection of more than 930 songs and stories for Jewish children on more than 60 albums.  Browse them all.

Yanky At The Pesach Seder With Zeude

Alef Bet in Song and Story: Fred Vogel & Jesse Silverstein

Sorry! I Just Don’t Have the Time – An Adventure Story for Jewish Children

Comments (0)

By Recorded Sound Archives, December 10, 2012 1:26 pm

 Chanukah celebrations are joyous occasions with lots of holiday gifts, decorations and parties.

The eight-day festival of Chanukah retells a story about hope, the importance of maintaining Jewish traditions, and the symbolic power of light.

Of course, at the Judaica Sound Archives we always celebrate Chanukah with music!

Back by popular demand, the JSA’s wonderful collection of Chanukah songs that will entertain and delight the entire family.

From the Children’s Village Choir singing Hanukkah is Here to Moshe Oysher singing Maoz Tzur with his sister Fraydele and his niece Marilyn Michaels, the songs in this collection express the essence of the holiday. Joyous songs, children’s songs that teach about the holiday, traditional songs, and a new twist on an old favorite have been included.

May your holidays be filled with the music that fills your heart. Best wishes for a Happy Chanukah!

Comments (1)

By Recorded Sound Archives, November 5, 2012 10:13 am

The early settlers of Israel looked towards their roots for musical inspiration. For many this meant the tones and tunes of Eastern Europe. However, there were were also those who wanted to create a new style of music that would belong uniquely to Israel and reflect their new country. The songs written in this new “Israeli” style combined familiar Eastern European motifs, traditional Sephardic melodies and more exotic Middle Eastern and North African influences. For many these more “Eastern” exotic influences seemed closer to biblical music and reflective of the land of Israel. This new musical style is generally known as Mizrahi music.

A pioneer of this new style of Israeli music was Josef “Jo” Amar. A noted Moroccan-born Israeli singer and hazzan, Amar began his singing career in the late 1940s in Morocco before he moved to Israel in 1956.

Jo Amar’s love of Arabic music was strong and he made several recordings in Arabic. But it was his Hebrew recordings which introduced Mizrahi music to mainstream Israeli culture and was responsible, to a great extent, for its growing popularity.

By 1970 he was living in New York singing professionally as a well-known cantor. He spent the last two decades of his life in his beloved Israel where his artistry brought him many honors and awards.

Ben Shalev wrote about Jo Amar in his July 2, 2009 obituary on Haaretz.com: “His songs still gladden the heart and bring excitement into the lives of many, just as they did decades ago, and they have been an important factor in the acceptance in Israel of Mizrahi music.”

The Judaica Sound Archives at FAU Libraries is pleased to share three albums by Israeli legend, Jo Amar, courtesy of Menorah Records:

(1) An Evening with Jo Amar

(2) Jo Amar Sings Only for You

(3) Chassidic Rhapsody with Sephardic Soul

Comments (0)

By Recorded Sound Archives, October 1, 2012 2:33 pm

Bob Berkman’s pianola brings a rich new sound to vintage early 20th century Jewish music

The first time I heard Bob Berkman’s CD, Klezmerola, I just couldn’t stop playing it. I loved the old time sound that Bob was able to achieve with his pianola. I loved the way the sound of the pianola (player piano) augmented the  impact of the music that had once defined a generation of Jews and now was fading from memory.

I am delighted that the Judaica Sound Archives at Florida Atlantic University can now boast a collection of 47 Jewish songs by America’s premier pianolist, Bob Berkman.

I wrote the following review in September 2008 for the Association of Jewish Libraries. After listening to the CD many times since then, I still feel the same way.

“Take an almost vanished technology (player pianos), add vintage Jewish music and stir with just a hint of ragtime and what do you get? Klezmerola! An absolutely delightful CD album that is fun, fresh and freylekh. In this album of “Jewish music from rare piano rolls” Bob Berkman does an incredible job of bringing the music to life with a vitality achieved by actually foot-pumping an old upright player piano. The accompanying 16 page booklet provides information about each song and about the rediscovery of Jewish piano rolls. Such old familiar Yiddish songs as “Odesser Bulgar,” “Yosel,” and “Die Griene Cosina” seem especially well-suited for Bob Berkman’s pianola interpretations. I would be hard pressed to choose a favorite track.  I loved them all!”

In the liner notes for his two volume CD, Klezmerola at the Yiddish Theater, Bob Berkman tells us that ” Piano roll manufacturers…were eager to record and sell current hits, and for attracting immigrant Jewish customers there was no greater source than Yiddish Theater…The market was never a large one…and surviving examples are rare.” The music on these three CDs took over 35 years to assemble.

The piano rolls only contain notes (like sheet music). Bringing them to life with dynamics, accents, phrasing, and emotion is the work of the pianolist, the person operating the player piano. Bob Berkman’s unique talent revitalizes this vintage music, providing a generous portion of nostalgia. . . . with a twist!

Bob Berkman’s love affair with the pianola began in 1975 when he was hired by QRS in Buffalo, NY, the world’s last remaining piano roll manufacturer. His talents brought him the opportunity to work on such films as Ragtime, The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, and Reds ( in cooperation with  Stephen Sondheim). He has appeared on NPR, BBC, and CBS Sunday Morning.

Using a 1912 “push-up” portable pianola, Berkman effectively turns any piano into a player piano allowing him to perform  in venues all across America. In great demand as a speaker and performer, his unique and deeply personal work with Jewish rolls has been especially gratifying to him.  His important discovery of George Gershwin’s only Jewish piano roll and the haunting A Gitte Nacht by the obscure Samuel Perlstein are among his most treasured accomplishments.

For information about how to buy recordings by Bob Berkman, please click here.

Comments (2)

By Recorded Sound Archives, September 12, 2012 1:22 pm

Rabbi/Cantor David Sirull posted this upbeat musical Rosh Hashanna video on You Tube.  He is the spiritual leader of the Conservative synagogue in Augusta, Georgia and was classically trained in the art of Eastern European Chazanut. To hear a different side of Cantor Sirull’s talents listen to Mizmor Shir which is part of the Judaica Sound Archives collection.