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March 27, 2025

The Timeless Jewish Tunes That Turn Out to Be Quite Recent

Israel and Samuel Goldfarb composed Shalom Aleikhem in 1918.

Some melodies one might here in synagogues and around Shabbat tables are recent compositions—the work of religious musicians or even borrowings from popular music. Others are traditional tunes that have been used for centuries, and whose origins are lost. But there are others so widespread that they are assumed to be ancient, when in fact they are quite recent in origin. Matt Austerklein writes:

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March 27, 2025

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  5. The Timeless Jewish Tunes That Turn Out to Be Quite Recent

    Israel and Samuel Goldfarb composed Shalom Aleikhem in 1918.