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For Immediate Release — May 23, 2013

For information contact: Betsy Gomberg Brian Zimmerman bgomberg@spertus.edu bzimmerman@spertus.edu 312.322.1756 312.322.1724

JEWISH MUSIC, JEWISH COMMUNITIES

University of Chicago ethnomusicologist Rachel Adelstein teaches mini-course in Highland Park as part of Spertus Institute’s suburban programming.

Course begins July 8, 2013.

(HIGHLAND PARK) Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership continues its suburban programming this July

with Jewish Music, Jewish Communities, a four-part mini-course taught by Rachel Adelstein, an ethnomusicologist who

recently received her PhD from the University of Chicago.

Rachel Adelstein believes that music provides an important key to understanding the diversity and development of

Jewish practice, serving as an evolving soundtrack to Jewish history. Her dissertation focused on women cantors and

their role in modern Judaism, but her background in Jewish music spans genres and influences. She has written about the

musical traditions of Jewish cultures around the world, including the Cochin Jews of Southern India and the Abayudaya Jews

of Uganda. Her work regarding the role of music in Holocaust memorial services has been discussed in conferences around

the country. A passionate advocate of the importance of Jewish music, she has studied everything from Jewish hip-hop to

Biblical instrumentation, and from early American shape note singing to contemporary Jewish hymnals.

Jewish Music, Jewish Communities takes place at North Shore Suburban Synagogue Beth El, 1175 Sheridan Road in

Highland Park, a Spertus partner for programs on Chicago’s Northshore. Sessions meet Mondays July 8-29 from 11 am

to 1 pm. The cost is $120 if reserved by June 15 and $150 if reserved June 16-30. Although the mini-course is open to all,

the cost for Spertus and North Shore Suburban Synagogue Beth El members is discounted to $100 if reserved by June 15

and $120 after. A kosher lunch, included in the cost, is provided at each of the sessions. Reservations can be made online

at spertus.edu or by phone at 312.322.1773.

Drawing on her expertise in music, anthropology, and world Jewish history, Dr. Adelstein has selected specific areas to

discuss in each of the four sessions. On July 8, she will examine Judaism’s earliest interactions with music, which include

musical references in Genesis. Participants will be able to learn about early Biblical instrumentation, exploring the primitive

instruments used in ancient Jewish rituals. On July 15, she will focus on the evolution of cantoral melodies and the shifting

role of the cantor in Jewish practice. The July 22 session will examine uniquely American aspects of Jewish music, and the

final session on July 29 will explore songs from Jewish communities in far-flung regions of the world.

About Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership

Spertus Institute offers dynamic learning opportunities, rooted in Jewish wisdom and culture and open to all. Graduate

programs and workshops train future leaders and engage individuals in exploration of Jewish life. Public programs—

including films, speakers, seminars, and concerts—take place at the Institute's Michigan Avenue facility, in the Chicago

suburbs, and online. For more information, please visit spertus.edu.

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Jewish Music, Jewish Communities — PAGE 2

Editor’s Note

Here is information about some of the communities/types of Jewish music mentioned in the release.

Who are the Jews of Cochin?

The Jews of Cochin are said to have come to the Malabar Coast of southwest India after the destruction of the

Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE. They were later joined by Jewish families of Portuguese decent who arrived in Cochin

after being expelled from Iberia in 1492. These Jews lived in India under the protection of the Hindu Raja, who

granted them religious asylum and a town of their own that later acquired the name “Jew Town.” Unlike Jews of

Eastern and Central Europe, the Cochin Jews have a long tradition of allowing women to sing and even lead prayers

during religious services. Songs are usually recited in Judeo-Malayalam, a Jewish dialect of the Malayalam language.

Once the community was populous enough to support seven synagogues. Today there are 53 practicing Jews in the

Cochin region, only 13 of whom were born in India.

Who are the Abayudaya of Uganda?

The Abayudaya, whose tribal name means "People of Judah," are practicing Jews who live among Christian

and Muslim neighbors in scattered villages in Eastern Uganda. Many scrupulously follow Jewish ritual, observe

the Sabbath, keep kosher, and pray in Hebrew. They have developed their own style of music, borrowing from

influences including Malakite music adopted by the community’s founder Semei Kakungulu, liturgical selections

learned from early contact with occasional Jewish visitors and the expatriate congregations in Nairobi, and

traditional and contemporary music learned by recent contact with Jews from North America and Israel.

Music has long been a motivating force for religion in Africa and has been critical to the Abayudaya community.

A collection of their music, titled Abayudaya: The Music of the Jews of Uganda, was released by Smithsonian

Folkways in 2005 and was a Grammy Award Nominee that year for Best Traditional World Album.

What is shape note singing?

Shape note singing, also known as Sacred Harp Singing, is one of America’s oldest singing traditions. Shape

notes are a notation system designed to facilitate congregational and community singing. The notation was widely

adopted by churches and other religious venues, where shapes were added to the sheet music accompanying

religious hymns. Originating in New England, but practiced primarily in the Southern United States, shape note

singing pairs geometric shapes with traditional music notation to help singers find pitches within the musical scale.

Each shape indicates the syllables of the major scale (do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti), eliminating the need for sharps and

flats. Emphasizing participation over performance, shape note singers typically face each other in a hollow square,

while each participant take a turn “leading” the song by conducting from the center.

Spertus Institute is a partner in serving the community, supported by the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation

of Metropolitan Chicago.