Database of documentaries, features and other film footage that contain relevant materials on Jewish and Israeli music. It also includes articles that discuss aspects of Jewish and Israeli musical representation in films.
Yippee
Directed by Paul Mazursky
Material Type:
Films
Year:
2006
Yiddish Theater: A Love Story
Directed by Dan Katzir
Material Type:
Films
Year:
2006
Le Blues du Yiddish
Directed by Sylvie Anne Goldberg and Alex Szalat
This film is about Yiddish culture in Paris. The soundtrack features Yiddish songs and there are also performances of songs such as, David Meyerovitz's Vos Geven is Geven Un Mito and Jennie Goldstein and Morris Rund's Ikh Bin a Mame. Both are performed by Talila, the Jewish French singer and actress.
Material Type:
Films
Year:
2005
Yiddish – The Mame Loshn (Yiddish - the Mother Tongue)
Directed by Cordelia Stone and Pierre Sauvage
Produced by Pierre Sauvage
Material Type:
Films
Year:
1979
Wild Man Blues
Directed by Barbara Kopple
Material Type:
Films
Year:
1997
Uncle Moses
Directed by Sidney Goldin and Aubrey Scotto
Material Type:
Films
Year:
1932
Unataneh Tokef
Directed by Yehuda Yaniv
Material Type:
Films
Year:
1991
Tree of Life
Directed by John Ferno
This film, narrated by Laurence Olivier, contains performances of both secular and religious music in Israel. This includes praying at the Western Wall, a Jazz version of the Song of Songs, an Upsherin (the ceremonial first haircut when a boy is three years old) ceremony with dancing and singing, and lighting of Hannuka candles in different traditions such as, Persian, Yemenite, and secular.Material Type:
Films
Year:
1971
Tomorrow's A Wonderful Day
Directed by Helmar Lerski
This film is a docu-drama about a young holocaust survivor in the children's village of Ben-Shemen. At around the half hour mark there is a Shabbat dinner ceremony in which the children and the adults sing Louis Lewandowski's version of Lecha Dodi, a tune that brings solace and calm to the film's protagonist.
Material Type:
Films
Year:
1948
- A Polka Mazurka
- Niggun of the Meggid of Mezerich From the album, "The Hasidic Niggun as Sung by the Hasidim." This dance niggun is the seventh and last in a series of niggunim sung by Bratslav Hasidim as they dance after the Shabbat evening service on Friday night. Some have attributed the niggun to R. Dov Ber, the meggid of Mezerich.
- Kol B'ru'ei (Padua, Italy) From the album, "Italian Jewish Musical Traditions from the Leo Levi Collection (1954-1961)." The poem depicts "all creatures" singing and praising the unity of God, and was recited in the Italian rite during the daily morning prayer. This melody was sung only on Rosh Hashanah (New Year) in the Italian tradition of Padua.
- Yigdal From the album, "Judeo-Carribean Currents, Music of the Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue in Curaçao," performed by Gideon Zelermyer. The Yigdal is part of the ceremonial section of the liturgical order of Shabbat and the Holy Days in the Curaçao synagogue. It is one of the ending hymns of the service.
- Eres Chiquita y Bonita From the album, "Judeo-Spanish Moroccan Songs for the Life Cycle," sung by Alicia Bendayan from Tetuan. This is a song about courtship, related to the Jewish rituals that mark the events of the life cycle.
- Sweet Shalt Be My Chant From the album, "Kulmus Hanefesh," performed by Yair Harel on voice and tar, and Matti Kovler on voice and piano. A sacred hymn attributed to Rabbi Yehuda ha-Chasid, this is a Chabad tune with a near-Eastern arrangement.
- Lyr II From the album, "The Music of the Mountain Jews." Lyr is a genre found among all Turkish peoples, consisting of long, complex compositions usually comprised of three parts.
- Gilu ha-Galilim (Rejoice Galileans) From the album, "Nights in Canaan, Early Songs of the Land of Israel (1882-1946)." This is a Second Aliyah (1904-1914) song which became an integral part of the historical repertoire of Hebrew song. Both native-born and newly arrived pioneers sang this song in all circumstances.
- Saperi Tama From the album, "With Songs They Respond: The Diwan of the Jews from Central Yemen." This is a girdle poem by Se'adia ben Amram. Saperi Tama is sung to many melodies and is one of Yemenite Jewry's most common poems.