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Found Love on Tu B’Av?

Contrary to what we’ve been taught, February 14 doesn’t have the monopoly on romantic holidays. Tu B’Av, which is sometimes called the Jewish Valentine’s Day, fell on August 3 this year. Did you miss it? It’s not too late to hire a sitter, make a dinner reservation, pick up some flowers and relax with a little music. The Milken Archive suggests Alexander Olshanetsky's duet from his operetta Di eyntsike nakht (The One and Only Night), Eyn kuk af dir (Just One Look at You). The operetta deals with the very serious topic of Jewish boys’ conscription into the Czarist Russian Army, but it is told through a love story about two childhood playmates who, after years of separation, fall in love as adults. The play culminates with the male character traveling to the town of his beloved as she is about to wed someone else and proclaiming his love for her. Listen in.

Alexander Olshanetsky's Eyn kuk af dir | Learn more about the work

Jacob Weinberg’s Ch’ssidisch

Jacob Weinberg belonged to a pioneering school of composers. Together with Jewish performers, folklorists, and other intellectuals in Russia, they attempted during the first two decades of the 20th century to found a new Jewish national art music based on authentic Jewish musical heritage. However, this unpublished piece was found after his death in manuscript form in the Simon Bellison Archives in Jerusalem. Since the melody cannot be traced to the known repertoires of any Hassidic dynasty or tradition, we must assume that it was Weinberg’s own creation. Nonetheless, he based it on generic contours of typical Hassidic song, evoking its emblematic fervor, ecstasy, and emotional intensity. Listen in.

Jacob Weinberg's Ch'sddisch  | Learn more about the work

Jewels of Elul

The Jewish calendar’s season of reflection is upon us and, in what is now a tradition, Craig Taubman and his group, Craig & Co., offer a way to appreciate that season with their annual Jewels of Elul emails. This year’s theme is on the Art of Aging and includes ruminations from Norman Lear and Quincy Jones. The Milken Archive, a proud sponsor of this project, is also offering some jewels of our own: Each week, in conjunction with the Jewels of Elul, we will be offering a free track from our extensive collection of recordings. Sign up, or visit our website each Friday during the month of Elul for free tracks from Osvaldo Golijov, Herman Berlinski, John Zorn, and Cantor Benzion Miller. Visit the Jewels of Elul website to learn more about the project and sign up for the emails.