BOCA RATON, Fla. — Ladino Lives! Joe Elias performed Friday at Florida Atlantic University’s S.E. Wimberly Library in Boca Raton along with guitarist Maurice Sedacca for a lecture and concert titled “Ladino Lives!” Elias, who was born and raised in the oral tradition of Ladino, the medieval Spanish language preserved by the Spanish Jews, has traveled throughout the Ladino-speaking world performing and collecting folksongs... More...

 

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Nathan Tinanoff, director of the Judaica Sound Archives at Florida Atlantic University, has brought those archives a long way. Seven years ago, Tinanoff volunteered to help Cantor Asher Herman organize a modest collection of Judaica sound recordings Herman pieced together.

 

When the cantor passed away two years later, Tinanoff thought he knew the fate of the music. "I thought that no one would care about the recordings, that they would just disappear," Tinanoff said. "There were around 1,000 at the time, and I said, ‘This is a cultural heritage that needs to be preserved for our children and grandchildren…’ More...

 

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Written on the album cover of his 1951 recording of synagogue melodies, Cantor Zvee Aroni of Philadelphia wrote, "We are a musical nation and a nation recognized as a people that likes, and appreciates and gives out music."

From David, a shepherd who later rose to become the Chief Musician in King Saul’s Palace, to Jewish Prophets who became inspired upon hearing music, to the eventual creation of the Chazzan – in each generation, music has played an important role... More...

 

ROCKVILLE, Md. — At 92, Cantor Mark Levi has a new profession: zamler.

That's Yiddish for collector, explains Levi, who was cantor at Beth Tikva Synagogue (today, Tikvat Israel in Rockville) from 1962 to 1984, then at Beth Ami in Boca Raton, Fla., 1985-95. Both shuls named him cantor emeritus.

Before moving back to the area last year ("The children and grandchildren are here," More...

 

WAYNE, N.J. — Wayne resident Mimi Lakind knew about the Judaica Sound Archives (JSA) from an article she read in The Jewish Standard some time ago. But she did not contact them until this past February, when she found herself in possession of eight or nine Yiddish and cantorial records.

 

Cleaning out the household of her husband’s recently deceased 99-year-old aunt, Lakind found the collection of old recordings and, at first, was not sure what to do with them. Then she remembered the piece about the JSA at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. More...

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Ben Aroni placed a record needle on the 78 rpm in front of him. Noise, nothing but noise could be heard.

 

Moments later, a singer’s voice pierced the static. It was that of his father, the late Zvee Aroni, a well-known East Coast cantor who as a child was known as the “Wonder Boy Cantor from Jerusalem.” After about 20 seconds, Ben Aroni stopped the record... More...

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — The woman was in her 90s and in the process of moving to a nursing home when Rhea Bertelli met her. The woman's husband had been a cantor, leading prayers in synagogues, and she had helped by composing and arranged Hebrew and Yiddish songs. Jewish records and sheet music filled her home, but the music was in danger of being lost.

"Her children were totally uninterested," said Bertelli, now 81. "She had to find a home for the music or it was going to go into a Dumpster..." More...

 

 

 

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