From 2004 | Rhythm & Blues, Blacks & Jews
In the 1940s and 1950s, an upstart group of Jewish records producers helped launch many of the biggest names in blues and R&B music, paving the way for the rock ‘n’ roll revolution.
New Children’s Books Chronicle the Lives of Prominent American Jews
Jewish American Heritage Month is an ideal time to introduce young readers to notable Jewish figures in American history, and a number of recently released books can help.
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.
The Jews Who Saved Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
“When I tell people that a Jewish family once owned Thomas Jefferson’s home at Monticello, their jaws drop,” says director Steven Pressman.
The Jews of Iran: Antisemitism and the Great Exodus with Roya Hakakian and Sarah Breger
While Jews have lived in Iran for centuries, today’s Jewish community numbers around 10,000, down from 100,000 Jews prior to the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Roya Hakakian, author of Journey from the Land of No: A Girlhood Caught in Revolutionary Iran and A Beginner’s Guide to America: For the Immigrant and the Curious, shares what life was like prior to the revolution, the antisemitism that caused most Jews to flee and what life is like now for the Iranian Jewish community. Hakakian is in conversation with Moment editor Sarah Breger.
This program is part of a Moment series on antisemitism supported by the Joyce and Irving Goldman Family Foundation.
“So, Are Jews a Race?” Lessons from Purim and Beyond
The story of Esther concealing her Jewishness to save her people should lead Jews to think about the politics of “passing” in 21st century America.
The Resilience of Ukraine and Its Jews
Volodymyr Zelensky is now a rare source of hope for all, in a region plunging into darkness.
Moment Debate | Would a Ban on Abortion Curtail Jews’ Religious Freedom?
Abortion bans are predicated on assumptions about when life begins that have specific Christian theological assumptions baked into them.
Opinion Interview | Are Pro-Trump Jews Moving On?
As 2022 ushers in a new political cycle, the relationship between former president Donald Trump and his supporters in the Jewish community—a minority, but a passionate and often influential one—seems set to enter a new and more complicated phase.
What Should the Role of American Jews Be With Respect to Israel Today?
What, if any, obligations do we have toward Israel?
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.
From the Archives | Are Jews Still Funny?
In 1979 Time magazine, the quintessential barometer of American life, told the nation that even though Jews made up only 3 percent of the population, 80 percent of America’s working comedians were Jewish.