Traditional High Holy Day Melodies of the Portuguese Synagogue of Amsterdam

Begins with a brief history of Jewish life in Amsterdam from the earliest evidence of the 16th c., through the 17th and 18th c., including the construction and later history of the famous Esnoga (synagogue) building and the associated Ets Haim library. Musical life in the Amsterdam Jewish community in the 17th and 18th c. is also discussed, and evidence for the musical portions of the services, as given in a 1788 precentor's manual written by Joseph Jesurum Pinto, is compared with modern practice. (Sarah Boslaugh)