The Lectures and the Website


"Jewish Folksongs" is a series of lectures given in either English or Hebrew about the ways folk songs reflect different themes of Jewish heritage. The songs mainly cover Yiddish and Ladino-speaking cultures, and I also look at a few piyutim, hasidic and Israeli folksongs. In the lectures I speak about the songs, sing them with guitar accompaniment and invite the audience to sing along with me.

The website complements the material in the lectures. It includes detailed information and sources, mainly from the Internet, and there is also a reference section regarding different aspects of Jewish musical heritage with brief surveys and additional references to online information sources.
 

Introduction

Festivals

People, Places

The Life Cycle

Nature

 

     

 

Introductory lecture

 

Ladino and Yiddish Folksongs: Are they Jewish? 

In this introductory lecture, I take a few representative songs and, together with the audience, develop criteria to define the characteristics of Jewish folksongs. On this webpage, we enter the doors opened by each of the songs – one by one – and see which aspects of Jewish heritage they lead us to. 

 

 

Festivals

 
Shabbat:Shabbat is a songfully joyous festival - and it comes around 52 times a year!  
Hanukkah:Take a quiz and come to the lecture for the answers. Also - a bonus quiz for Internet addicts! 
Tu Bishvat:The "tree of life" is a rich source of folklore, cultural history, religion and folksong. 
Purim:Eat, drink and be merry - and share the fun with others! 
Pesach:What is the significance of the kid in this kids' song? 

Shavuot:

The songs reflect a yearning for closeness between the Jewish people and God, the Torah, the land, and fellow human beings.          

 
 

 People and Places

 

Kings and Queens

As in the Introductory Lecture, we enter the doors opened by each of the songs and see which aspects of Jewish and world culture they lead us to.

 

Mothers and Fathers 

  
In-Laws  
Boys and Girls  
Home  
Klezmers and Gypsies  
Occupations  
Hasidim  
Elijah, the Messiah and the World to Come  

 

The Life Cycle
 

 
Love and Courtship  
Weddings  
Lullabies  
Food  
Drink  
 

Nature

 
TreesThe "tree of life" is a rich source of folklore, cultural history, religion and folksong. 
One Only KidWhat is the significance of the kid in this kids' song? 
The Golden Peacock In which way does the golden peacock symbolize Yiddish literature? 
Flowers  
The Seasons  

 See you at the lectures!  Contact me at:  batya@jewishfolksongs.com

 
["The Fiddler"  -  M. Chagall]

 


 

Hebrew:  הרצאות