By Nadine Epstein and Rebecca Frankel In the early 1960s, Bob Dylan performed at tiny Greenwich Village folk clubs, acoustic guitar strapped across his compact shoulders, harmonica perched on a metal rack around his slender neck. His chord changes were simple and his voice a soft-grating croon. With lyrics that were eerily profound, the Midwestern folksinger soon found himself labeled a “prophet” of his generation. The young musician’s fans were spiritual, not religious in the traditional sense; many were abandoning the churches and synagogues of their parents in search of something new. But even those Jews who felt little connection with Judaism could not suppress a hint of pride as they listened to songs like “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” anthems that were reverently taken up by other 1960s legends like Judy...

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