MUS 101: Introduction to Music: 11-Jewish Music in Eastern Europe and North America

History of the Jews—Summary on a Map

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR9sWRzbdJw&list=PLJk9VXX7_rcnnyyAznUns58mS9P_a8_Sq&index=4

Another brief history

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIYHMdOr5Aw

Generally speaking, the world Jewish community is divided into several major groups

• Ashkenazim—the community originating in Central and Eastern Europe. Among themselves they spoke a language called Yiddish, a mixture of medieval German, Hebrew, Aramaic, French, and Slavic languages, written in Hebrew characters
• Sephardim—the community originating around the Mediterranean. Among themselves they spoke several languages like Ladino (Judeo-Spanish)
• Mizrahi—the community originating from Middle Eastern countries such as Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, as well as Western India, etc. They spoke Arabic, Marathi, Tajik,etc
• Bohkarian (sometimes grouped with the Mizrahi)—the community originating from Central Asian countries such as Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, etc, and spoke Tajik, Uzbek, or Kazakh
• smaller communities everywhere from Africa, to India, to China.

Our discussion will focus on the Ashkenazim who are the largest group and the ones most present in North America.

There have been various trends over the centuries, with Jews attempting to make accommodation with their host nations, often in the face of genocidal persecution. One of the largest group in Eastern Europe were the Hasidim. To quote from a article in www.myjewishlearning.com :

Hasidic Judaism is an Orthodox spiritual revivalist movement that emerged in Eastern Europe in the 18th century. Followers of Hasidic Judaism (known as Hasidim, or “pious ones”) drew heavily on the Jewish mystical tradition in seeking a direct experience of God through ecstatic prayer and other rituals conducted under the spiritual direction of a Rebbe, a charismatic leader sometimes also known as a tsadik, or righteous man. At the movement’s height in the 19th century, it is estimated that roughly half of Eastern European Jews were Hasidim.

The movement was decimated by the Holocaust, but dozens of Hasidic sects (or courts) exist today centered mainly in Israel and the New York metropolitan area…

Hasidic Judaism first arose in Ukraine amid a wider resurgence of interest in Jewish mysticism and as an alternative to those who hewed to a more formal and scholarly approach to Jewish practice and would later become known as mitnagdim (literally “opponents”). Born circa 1700, the founder of Hasidism was Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, better known as the Baal Shem Tov (literally “master of the good name”). …..

The Baal Shem Tov traveled widely and developed a devoted following. Rather than lecturing on Jewish law, he urged his disciples to develop a personal relationship with God.  ……

Hasidism brought Jewish mysticism to the masses, something that had traditionally been kept somewhat secret and restricted to a pious and learned few. It de-emphasized Jewish study in favor of Jewish practice, particularly prayer, and embraced a culture of folk tales that often had elements of magic and miracles.

 

 

 

Yiddish transliteration Sha Shtil Sha shtil, makh nit keyn gerider Der rebe geyt shoyn tantsn vider Sha shtil, makh nit keyn gevald Der rebe geyt shoyn tantsn bald   Un az der rebe tantst Tantsn dokh di vent Lomir ale plyasken mit di hent   Un az der rebe tantst Tantst dokh mit der tish Lomir ale tupn mit di fis   Sha shtil, makh nit keyn gerider Der rebe geyt shoyn zingen vider Sha shtil, makh nit keyn gevald Der rebe geyt shoyn zingen bald   Un az der rebe zingt Dem heylikn nign Blaybt der sotn a toyter lign

English translation  Shhh! Quiet! Shhh! Quiet, make no noise, The rabbi is going to dance again. Be quiet, make no commotion, The rabbi is going to dance soon.   And when the rabbi dances, The walls dance with him, Let's all clap our hands!   And when the rabbi dances, The table dances along, Let's all stamp our feet!   Shhh! Quiet, make no noise, The rabbi is going to sing again. Be quiet, make no commotion, The rabbi is going to sing soon.   And when the rabbi sings the holy nign, The evil one remains lying dead.

 

https://lyricstranslate.com/en/sha-shtil-shhh-quiet.html

There arose a repertoire of celebratory song and instrumental music based in the hybridity of the region mixing Jewish cantorial styles with dance music from styles such as Roma, Greek, Bulgarian, Romanian, Ukrainian, Baltic, etc.  This style became known as klezmer music, referring to the musicians.  The word klezmer comes from the Hebrew words kli (vessel, container, tool) and zmer (song, music). 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6hJpvXSCzg

Other trends in 18^th-20^th Century Jewish culture focused on secularism and reform movements like Socialism and labor unions.  Only nominally religious, little emphasis was put on Hebrew, the language of prayer and study, and more on Yiddish as a language of the common people and literature.  Secular folksongs, political and theatrical song abound. 

There were many folksongs in Yiddish that have no specific religious content. This first one, possibly the most famous Yiddish song of all time, is about a young man agonizing over which girl to marry and which to reject.  The refrain says to play the balalaika (a three-string Russian instrument) and be happy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6qnVrEF3DY

The next one is sung from a young woman’s point of view after she and her boyfriend have had an argument.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWwJIsuS7Ek

The mid-19^th to early 20th century witnessed violent antisemitic riots (pogroms) in the Russian Empire, killing thousands. As a result over two million Jews emigrated to Western Europe and the United States between 1881 and 1914.

In her 1972 book of Yiddish songs Mir Trogen a Gezang (We Carry a Song) Eleanor Gordon Mlotek writes about this song;

                        Rudolf Rocker describes a memorable experience in London: “It was the in which

                        thousands of Jewish workers marched in thick ranks to Hyde Park, where a

                        mammoth protest demonstration was to take place against the horrible pogrom of

                        the Jews in Kishniev (1903). As we marched through the city streets, thousands

                        gazed in mute surprise upon the strange procession…When the mass singing

                        Edelstadt’s In Kampf was heard, the onlookers became very solemn and took off

                        Their hats to the marchers.”

Many poor immigrants worked in the sweatshops in cities like New York often for twelve or fourteen hours a day, seven days a week.  The conditions were appalling, and sometimes led to disasters like the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of March 25 1911 the “deadliest industrial disaster in the history of the city, and one of the deadliest in U.S. history. The fire caused the deaths of 146 garment workers – 123 women and girls and 23 men – who died from the fire, smoke inhalation, or falling or jumping to their deaths. Most of the victims were recent Italian or Jewish immigrant women and girls aged 14 to 23. [Wikipedia].  Although not specifically about the fire, the song “Mayn rue platz” refers to the conditions in the sweatshops from a woman’s point of view.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwRc3mdWuds

“American Yiddish theater was born in Europe but found its greatest success in America. And though its 1882 American premiere ended in a brawl, Yiddish theater (or "Second Avenue," after the Manhattan street that housed most of the theaters) quickly became a wildly popular entertainment choice for American Jews in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. “

(https://www.milkenarchive.org/music/volumes/view/great-songs-of-the-american-yiddish-stage/)

Starting in the 19^th century there was a continuous tension between secular and religious communities. Those who were either more modernly religious or totally secular would often mock the unquestioning veneration of Hasidic rabbis. This disrespectful song written by Ludwig Satz was a huge hit in its day and every lyricist wrote his/her own verses for it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8A5-H2shiU

Across the ethnic divide the barrel organ (basically a largen hand cranked music box) was popular with street performers. It had many names, but in Yiddish it was known as the Katarinke.  Here is a sad love song about a katerinshtshik (organ grinder) written by Polish song writer Leyb Olitski (Leib Olitzky) (1894-September 1, 1975). 

A song about the triple plagues of tuberculosis, polio, and war

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFJhwCakqN4

A comical song about relationships

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxUpc9Q5M_E

From the serious operetta “An Eye for an Eye” by Sholom Secunda and Anschel Schorr

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaXRMDce3LE

Having a good time back in the old country

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0EUbA4PBPg

The plight of immigrants to America

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxZ4cJrq7KE&t=1s

There are lots of Yiddish songs which explained English words to eager newcomers. This song by Louis Friedsel, from the Boris Thomashefsky show "The Jewish Yankee Doodle" (Der yidisher yenki dudl) uses a soda stand, unwanted pregnancy, and bedbugs to explain the concept.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5v_nj-wrQ8

Bridges to Broadway

Some composers’ works bridged the gap between Yiddish and English popular music.  One of the most famous breakout numbers was Sholom Secunda’s “Bay mir bistu shayn” (You are beautiful to me) which gained worldwide fame through the Andrew’s Sisters’ version which added English words which added a heavy swing arrangement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNysi5_c2g0

Along with African Americans and Irish, Jewish songwriters dominated the Tin Pan Alley publishing industry which extended from vaudeville, to Broadway, to Hollywood. Among the most famous immigrant success stories was that of Irving Berlin (Born Israel Beilin) (1888-1989) widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in history. His music forms a great part of the Great American Songbook. He wrote hundreds of songs, many becoming major hits, which made him famous before he turned thirty. During his 60-year career he wrote an estimated 1,500 songs, including the scores for 20 original Broadway shows and 15 original Hollywood films, with his songs nominated eight times for Academy Awards. Many songs became popular themes and anthems, including "Alexander's Ragtime Band", "Easter Parade", "Puttin' on the Ritz", "Cheek to Cheek", "White Christmas", "Happy Holiday", "Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)", and "There's No Business Like Show Business". His Broadway musical and 1943 film This Is the Army, with Ronald Reagan, had Kate Smith singing Berlin's "God Bless America" which was first performed in 1938. [Wikipedia]

            Here are some examples of his hits”:

“Puttin on the Ritz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CqsSuWMGQ8

            “Cheek to Cheek” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILxo-TUkzOQ&t=21s

“White Christmas” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9QLn7gM-hY

            “God Bless America” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vmc-pEyUHTs

 

https://lyricstranslate.com