News Items
Music and Israel in the American Jewish Experience
April 26, 2023
The relationship between American Jews and the State of Israel has never been monolithic. In the decades prior to statehood and in the 75 years since, the American Jewish community has encompassed an array of opinions and outlooks concerning the Jewish state. However, as Neil W. Levin writes in an essay for the Milken Archive, “the existence of a musical relationship between Israel and America has been a constant in a sea of shifting attitudes, trends, and sensibilities.”
Today, as Israel marks the 75th anniversary of its founding, we explore that musical relationship in our new virtual exhibit: Music and Israel in the American Jewish experience.
Highlights from the Exhibit
- Jacob Weinberg’s Piano Concerto No. 2 is built on a foundation of long-established liturgical and folksong melodies.
- Ruth Schonthal’s A Bird Over Jerusalem combines flute, prepared piano, and prerecorded sound in a thoughtful meditation on violence and conflict.
- Paul Ben-Haim’s Kabbalat Shabbat, a sacred service “filled with jubilant devotion.”
