Years after Zalman Pollack was a star of the Jewish world, his life’s work was rediscovered…
A Letter from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to His Wife Constanze
The intimate letter, written in 1790, a year before Mozart’s death, offers a glimpse into the lavish lifestyle of the legendary composer
A Reception for the Man in Black: Johnny Cash in Israel
The discovery of a handful of forgotten photos from a 1971 visit led us to take a retrospective look at Johnny Cash’s long-term love affair with the Land of Israel, which included five trips to the country
‘Toyve the Black Cantor’ and His 1930 World Tour
When celebrated African-American Yiddish soloist Thomas Larue crossed the Atlantic, he didn’t know what was in store…
These Rediscovered Melodies Survived the Holocaust. Now They’re Online
Tunes from his childhood accompanied Yitzchak Freilich through the camps and on to his new life in America. Recorded by his son, they are now online as part of the National Library of Israel collection
The Making of the Story “Shloyml Boyml and His Lucky Dreydl”
A klezmer-infused children’s book inspired by journeys to the Eastern Bloc and the Black Sea
The Kaiser’s Favorite “Carmen”? A Jewish Star from Budapest
After years in the Berlin Royal Opera, an aging Teréz Rothauser was sent to Theresienstadt
A Tango in Auschwitz
“I’m still young, I want to live”; even in their darkest hour, the prisoners of the Nazi camps wrote songs of hope
Is “Chad Gadya” the First Children’s Song in Recorded History?
Parents have probably been singing songs to their children since the dawn of history, but “Chad Gadya” – composed specifically to help children stay awake until the very end of the Passover Seder – may be the first song ever printed specially for children
The Chad Gadya Melody That Survived the Holocaust
Shmuel Blasz was murdered at Auschwitz, but the original melody he wrote for the beloved Passover song lives on
