Blacks, Jews, Jazz & Blues with Loren Schoenberg, Eric K. Ward and Nadine Epstein

In the 19th century Black spirituals were inspired by biblical stories in the Old Testament, especially those we remember during Passover. In the early decades of the 20th century, Black and Jewish musicians, often living side by side in the same impoverished neighborhoods, connected through legacies of oppression. With the music industry one of the few fields open to them both, it’s no surprise that blues and jazz became rich, crossover genres. Join Loren Schoenberg, senior scholar at The National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Eric K. Ward, executive director of Western States Center and Nadine Epstein, Moment editor-in-chief, for a conversation about these musical connections, the bonds and tensions, and a taste of the music itself including Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho and Go Down Moses to Bei Mir Bist Du Shein.

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Zoominar speakers for Leonard Cohen

God, Sex and Politics in the Lyrics of Leonard Cohen with writers Erica Jong, Marcia Pally and Letty Cottin Pogrebin

Five years after singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen’s death, his lyrics and legacy still speak to us with special urgency. Marcia Pally, author of From This Broken Hill I Sing to You: God, Sex, and Politics in the Work of Leonard Cohen, and Erica Jong, author of Fear of Flying, is in conversation with Moment columnist Letty Cottin Pogrebin, a founding editor of Ms. magazine, about Cohen’s probing of Jewish theology and his doctrine of relationship and personal responsibility and its relevance for the present moment. They also explore his legacy through a Jewish, feminist lens.

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Music Between Cultures: The Sounds of Jewish America with musician Joe Alterman

Throughout the 20th century, Jews have always contributed to American popular music, from Irving Berlin to Carole King and beyond. But according to musician Joe Alterman, executive director of Neranenah Concert & Culture Series, the Jewishness of the music is defined by its story and not necessarily its melody. Part performance, part storytelling, Alterman, shares great American music with its fascinating Jewish stories woven in.

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Moment Zoominar: Jews, Music and the American Dream with Musicians Ben Sidran and Joe Alterman

Jews, Music and the American Dream with Musicians Ben Sidran and Joe Alterman

Jews have always been at the forefront of American popular music. Musician and music producer Ben Sidran, author of There Was A Fire: Jews, Music and the American Dream talks about: Who is a Jew in America? What is Jewish about popular music in America? What’s the prognosis for the future? Ben is in conversation with pianist Joe Alterman, executive director of Neranenah Concert & Culture Series, which celebrates Jewish contributions to music and the arts.

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A Tale of a Niggun by Elie Wiesel with Elisha Wiesel and Mark Podwal

A Tale of a Niggun by Elie Wiesel with Elisha Wiesel and Mark Podwal

After Elie Wiesel died, a little-known narrative poem that he wrote in the 1970s, A Tale of a Niggun, was rediscovered. Based on an actual event during the Holocaust, the poem was so moving that it was turned into a book. Join Elie’s son Elisha—who pays tribute to his father with the book’s introduction— and Elie’s dear friend—award-winning artist Mark Podwal—who illustrated the book, as they discuss how the poem was discovered, why it is so important and the power of wordless Jewish melodies. With Moment Editor-in-Chief Nadine Epstein, editor of Elie Wiesel: An Extraordinary Life.

Held in observance of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.

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Musical Memories of Elie Wiesel

Some of Elie’s friends and former students join in conversation and song to mark what would have been his 92nd birthday.

Featuring: Rabbi Ariel Burger, author, Witness: Lessons from Elie Wiesel’s Classroom; Nadine Epstein, editor-in-chief, Moment Magazine; Cantor Deborah Katchko-Gray, Congregation Shir Shalom, Connecticut; Matthew Lazar, founder & director, Zamir Choral Foundation; Cantor Joseph Malovany, Fifth Avenue Synagogue, New York

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Theodore Bikel’s The City of Light with Aimee Ginsburg Bikel

Love, Laughter and Tears: Theodore Bikel’s The City of Light with Aimee Ginsburg Bikel. This zoominar is part of the Martha’s Vineyard Jewish Book Festival, in partnership with Moment Magazine, the Chilmark Library and the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center.

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Celebrating Bob Dylan and the Rolling Thunder Revue with Louie Kemp and Kinky Friedman

Louie Kemp recounts his lifelong friendship with Bob Dylan, who he met at Jewish summer camp, and which he wrote about in his book Dylan and Me: 50 Years of Adventure. Louie also talks about the 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue that he produced, a concert tour featuring Bob Dylan and other performers like Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell. Joining Louie is Kinky Friedman who performed in the Revue in 1976 and wrote the forward for Dylan and Me.

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Stories and Songs of Theodore Bikel with Aimee Ginsburg Bikel

Aimee Ginsburg Bikel, Theo’s wife and director of the Theodore Bikel Legacy Project, gives us an up-close and personal look at the man behind the legend. Aimee shares stories about Theo’s life, from his acting roles to a sampling of his folk music, as well as his passion for tikkun olam (repair of the world). Aimee also presents an excerpt from her recently released book, Theodore Bikel’s: The City of Light, which recounts moments from Theo’s childhood in Vienna.

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Broadway Songs about the Jewish Experience with Michael Lavine

Broadway Performance Coach and Music Director Michael Lavine shares Jewish themed songs that are unfamiliar to many, including songs that were cut from the original Fiddler on the Roof. Actress Barbara Minkus who starred in the Broadway show The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N and the television show Love American Style, makes a special guest appearance.

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