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