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.
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. | |
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| Shabbat: | Much more than a day of rest, Shabbat is infused with majesty, holiness and mystery - all of which is reflected in song. |
| 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? |
The songs reflect a yearning for closeness between the Jewish people and God, the Torah, the land, and fellow human beings. | |
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 | |
| Children | |
| Home | |
| Occupations | |
| Hassidim | |
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| Love and Courtship | |
| Weddings | |
| Lullabies | |
| Food | |
| Trees | The "tree of life" is a rich source of folklore, cultural history, religion and folksong. |
| One Only Kid | What is the significance of the kid in this kids' song? |
| Beautiful Bird | |
| Flowers | |
| The Seasons |
See you at the lectures! Contact me at: batya@jewishfolksongs.com
["The Fiddler" - M. Chagall]
