| A while back I was driving along the Jerusalem | | | | Raphael Hirsch bring the choral works of |
| highway scanning the radio stations. On one | | | | Lewandowsky and Japhet in to the synagogue |
| frequency, a very intense dance beat was | | | | service, even though they were completely in the |
| exploding out of the speakers. I was about to | | | | style of the German composers of the age, such |
| move the dial some more in search of a Jewish | | | | as Schubert and Mendelssohn (he needs an |
| tune when the vocalist started in. Shock of | | | | asterisk because he was halakhically Jewish)? So |
| shocks, he was a heavily Hassidic singer, complete | | | | maybe I should not only calm down, I should |
| with eastern European pronunciation. And what | | | | applaud this phenomenon. |
| was he singing? "Kumee oy'ree ki va oy-reich.." | | | | Hold on. We're both right, I believe. Here's how I |
| from 16th century Rabbi Shlomo Alkavetz' classic | | | | reconcile the difference, and my earnest appeal to |
| Sabbath poem, L'cha Dodi. Before he had began | | | | all who create Jewish music. The most important |
| his rendition I had been expecting something like | | | | thing is to ask, "To be or not to be?" That is the |
| "Oh baby, the way you move with me ..."! | | | | question. |
| I had to ask the old question, "Is this good for the | | | | Every song has a purpose, a message. It can be |
| Jews?" And I had to give the old answer, "Does | | | | joy, faith, pensiveness, determination, anything. |
| hair grow on the palm of your hand?" | | | | The message is in the melody and rhythm, which |
| Of course it's not good for the Jews, I felt. Poor, | | | | create the atmosphere. It's in the text, which |
| unfortunate L'cha Dodi, dragged from the fields of | | | | gives articulation to the message. And it's in the |
| Tsfat on the Sabbath eve and infected with | | | | performance, which makes the message personal |
| Saturday Night Fever! Lovingly done by a Hassid, | | | | between the performer and the listener. If the |
| no less! | | | | message is congruent, if the music and the lyrics |
| Speaking of Tsfat, I recall meandering about their | | | | are a perfect union that inspires the performer, |
| Klezmer festival once and hearing a contemporary | | | | then you have a great piece of music. If the |
| setting of Psalm 126. It was to a funk rhythm, | | | | message is mixed, if there's a battle going on |
| and the words did not fit. The singer had to split | | | | between the rhythm and the words, then we are |
| words in two, which rendered them more or less | | | | troubled. That was why that "kumee oy'ree" was |
| meaningless. Good for the Jews? Nah. | | | | so absolutely awful. It was a mixed message of |
| What bothered me about this so-called Jewish | | | | licentious music with holy texts. |
| music? To put it briefly, besides the words, it just | | | | We love to set verses from the liturgy to music, |
| wasn't. It was dance, trance, shmantz. It was hip, | | | | and that's wonderful. Composers have a special |
| driving, suggestive. If this music was asked where | | | | responsibility to make sure that the music |
| it wanted to play, the synagogue or the sin-skin | | | | conveys the message and colors the words with |
| club, the answer was clear. If Jewish music is to | | | | deeper meanings. Do that, and I'm fascinated, I'm |
| be defined as such, it must have authentic Jewish | | | | inspired, even if it's a contemporary style. |
| roots. And so much contemporary music simply | | | | But be very, very careful with verses. We tend |
| does not. Where was the source of this tradition? | | | | to ask, "Do you think Adon Olam goes to this?", |
| Nowhere. That's what bothered me. | | | | when we would do better to ask, "What is this |
| But, as Tevye reminds us, there's another hand. | | | | melody saying?". If it says Adon Olam, good. If it |
| After all, go listen to classic Hassidic nigunim | | | | does not, then WRITE YOUR OWN WORDS. To |
| (melodies). Then go listen to Russian folk songs. | | | | keep with the idea of message, if you have a |
| Eerie, no? Weren't those folk songs the "dance" | | | | great tune that can say something worthwhile |
| of their day? | | | | (something human and real, not negative or |
| Even stronger, go watch the religious kids. They | | | | immodest), say it your way. That satisfies. |
| love contemporary popular music and all its villains. | | | | The foundation of Jewish music has always been |
| What these new Jewish groups do is take what's | | | | expressing what's in our hearts as a prayer to |
| hip and put Jewish content into it. Isn't that what | | | | God. That expression must be congruent, pure, |
| the original Hassidic nigunim were all about? If we | | | | sincere. There is room in the Jewish music world |
| don't want to lose our young people in the culture | | | | for great innovation, if it comes from our hearts, |
| war, we have to compete. Didn't Rabbi Samson | | | | not from the charts. |