Whatever Their Cause, the Recent Explosions at Iranian Military Bases Are a Setback for the Ayatollahs’ Race for Nuclear Weapons
The shadow war with Israel continues.
July 6, 2020
An Intimate Look at the First Scholar of Jewish Music
The author of a biblically themed opera, and perhaps of Havah Nagilah.
Born in Russian-ruled Latvia in 1882, Abraham Tzvi Idelsohn was the founding father of Jewish musicology, who dedicated much of his life to recording and analyzing traditional Jewish music from around the world. He was also a composer, whose works include a Hebrew-language opera based on the biblical story of Jephthah, and possibly the lyrics to Havah Nagilah. Trained as a cantor in his youth, Idelsohn had a remarkable career that brought him to Germany, South Africa, Ottoman Palestine, and Cincinnati. In a Hebrew letter composed by his daughter Shoshanah Idelsohn, reminiscing about her Jerusalem childhood, James Loeffler and Edwin Seroussi have found a rare perspective on Idelsohn’s private life, and the depths of his passion for the subject of his research:
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Will an Extension of Israeli Sovereignty Lead to Violent Unrest in the West Bank?
Unlikely.
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An Ancient Greek Inscription Paints a Portrait of One of the Forgotten Jewish Communities of Asia Minor
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An Intimate Look at the First Scholar of Jewish Music
The author of a biblically themed opera, and perhaps of Havah Nagilah.