The World Centre for Jewish Music in Palestine, 1936-1940

Using the documents assembled by the World Centre for Jewish Music in Palestine (WCJMP) during the half decade of its activities in the late 1930s, this volume examines the history of European Jewish music on the eve of its destruction. The many voices of the musicians and intellectuals forced to flee from the growing spectre of Nazism speak in this book about the transformation of the Jewish communities of Europe, the difficulties faced before and during exile, and the growing human...
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Using the documents assembled by the World Centre for Jewish Music in Palestine (WCJMP) during the half decade of its activities in the late 1930s, this volume examines the history of European Jewish music on the eve of its destruction. The many voices of the musicians and intellectuals forced to flee from the growing spectre of Nazism speak in this book about the transformation of the Jewish communities of Europe, the difficulties faced before and during exile, and the growing human and cultural tragedy faced by European Jewish culture. Voices of hopefulness also emerge from the documents in the book, particularly as Jewish musicians throughout the world turned to the WCJMP, and sought new outlets for the performance and study of Jewish music. Though the WCJMP itself succumbed to the destruction of European Jewish music, its history provides a new way to formulate and write the history of Jewish music, and furthermore of the complex postmodern history of European music.Philip V. Bohlman has translated selected documents from the correspondence and publications of the World Centre for Jewish Music, introduced their unique and compelling themes, and provided commentaries on all documents and their authors.