What makes music "Jewish"?

Wolfsbane ↓

Mon, Jan 06 2025, 5:37 pm

bookstore15 wrote:

Yes, that's the song! My father did say that part of the story too.
But what makes it Jewish?

After writing my first post, I did do some research, and Bob Dylan, my example, has some very "religious" songs. I don't know much about him, but songs like "I believe in you", "every grain of sand" have lyrics you might find in a frum song.
So it's written by a Jewish person, about G-d, and would probably be considered refined enough by most standards. What do you think? Jewish enough?

He also has songs with Christian references, though, like "Masters of War."

amother

Pear

Mon, Jan 06 2025, 6:02 pm

amother Cantaloupe wrote:

The explanation I was given once in a shiur, is that it comes down to the emotions the music makes us feel. Music should make us feel closer to Hashem and uplifted. I know that's a little simplified as you can have quite a range of music and different people will respond differently.

Some songs by secular sources are uplifting, someone mentioned speechless on another thread, Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen, fight song by Rachel Platten and similar.

↑ sequoia

Mon, Jan 06 2025, 8:05 pm

amother DarkYellow wrote:

I can't stand klezmer or anything else with a clarinet. It whines. You know who's into klezmer big-time? Secular Jews, particularly secular Yiddishists. Jewish in the ethnic cultural sense it may be but it doesn't in any way make me feel closer to G-d.

Why the hate?

amother

Nectarine

Yesterday at 12:45 pm

amother Aubergine wrote:

I once read a really humorous blog post from a B.Y. graduate (iirc "tales out of b.y" was the name of the blog) who was describing her experience with being involved in her school production/concert. All of the music for the dances had to be approved by the principal, who was a very frum, refined rebbetzin type. Anyway, the principal nixed several pieces as being too rocky/unrefined/not Jewish enough. The one she finally approved as sounding Jewish/frum and aidel enough was actually from an xmas song (obviously, she didn't know, she thought it was classical music, I guess). So that's what they used
I don't believe you can tell just from a melody, who composed it or what their thoughts were when composing it.

It really is irrelevant if music is from an xmas song or a love song.

Music can bring out vulgar, lowlife and הפקר feelings. Anyone truly religious can see that those have no place amongst us.

Art and music is EXPRESSION ( reflects feelings). EXPRESSION has to be appropriate for a Torah observant person.

We dont need articles or more explanation than that.

bigsis144

Yesterday at 1:04 pm

amother Bottlebrush wrote:

https://open.spotify.com/track/2FMHwYbRQjpmj8XeO2tNKW

Thanks for making me laugh!

Didn’t expect heavy metal on an album titled “Moshiach Oi!” but tbh for the right audience, head-banging repetitive music can be pretty meditative.

I feel like the people who spend so much time judging what’s the “right kind of music” for other people don’t really understand or appreciate what different genres and styles offer to people.

Sometimes when it feels like the inside of your brain is all screaming at you anyway, then the music that you crave is a reflection of that, something overwhelming rather than soothing.

amother

Olive

Yesterday at 1:07 pm

What about Israeli music? The singers and composers are all Jewish! Some of their songs have Torah values and some are s-xual. I honestly don’t think there’s a straight answer.

amother

Dimgray

Yesterday at 1:11 pm

So my stepkids loved the music their dad was listening to (my husband). Jewish music, frum musicians. His ex hated it. She preferred what the oldest calls "shiny shoe" music. Ie when the singers wear "shiny shoes" - MBD, Avraham Fried, that type. the music my husband likes is the kumzitz style, guitar style, etc. (this was almost 20 years ago so music has changed from then to now so the examples I'm giving are out of date).

So she took the music to her rav and he listened to it for a minute and said he does not hear the Yiras Shamayim in the music and she decided the kids can't listen to it anymore.

They were between the ages of 3-9. After that, the oldest started sneaking this music. His mom got mad and took away all of his music. So from there, he started sneaking non-Jewish music. Then he came to live with us.

To this day, the three of the kids who wanted to listen to whatever Jewish music they wanted - they are all OTD. One of them is still frum.

When we remove something in the name of "kosher" when it really is fine, the risk can be much greater. For my stepkids, it started with this.

↑ Wolfsbane

Yesterday at 8:37 pm

I use the term "Jewish music" to refer to music by frum artists and music with Jewish content by traditional Jewish artists. It's not the only music I find appropriate or inspiring though. (As per the OP, I would never call classical music "Jewish music" but pretty much everyone I know would be okay with listening to classical music, with the exception of maybe Wagner).

chestnut ↓

Yesterday at 8:42 pm

amother Aubergine wrote:

She might have been onto something. Many popular x-mas songs were written by Jews Smile

↑ chestnut ↓

Yesterday at 8:43 pm

Wolfsbane wrote:

Agree.
Jewish music = frum music = written or sung by frum artists.

amother

↑ Aubergine ↓

Yesterday at 8:46 pm

chestnut wrote:

She might have been onto something. Many popular x-mas songs were written by Jews Smile

Iirc, it was more of a religious one...not one of the popular oldies type written by a Jew like Irving Berlin or whoever (those are so well known and ubiquitous, I imagine even a Rebbetzin would recognize it as such).

↑ chestnut

Yesterday at 8:59 pm

amother Aubergine wrote:

Really ironic lol

Ruchel

Today at 5:25 am

amother DarkYellow wrote:

listen to the lyrics. Some are definitely kosher or more than kosher.

Also to my Jewish music is
Made by Jew
Jewish topic

logical

Today at 5:52 am

amother Aubergine wrote:

I read the blog, it was "I've been dreaming of a white x-mas..." not super religious, just asking for snow.
written by irving berlin - a jew

amother

↑ Aubergine

Today at 6:55 am

logical wrote:

I read the blog, it was "I've been dreaming of a white x-mas..." not super religious, just asking for snow.
written by irving berlin - a jew

I just looked it up even though I haven't been on that blog in years, because that's not what I remembered at all. The song was actually Winter Winderland. A love song that's centered around Xmas. Music composed by a Jew (not Berlin btw) and lyrics written by a non Jew. Doubtful it would have been approved if the collab/theme was known, not back in the day of fire and brimstone approach. (The missionary inclusion in the school presentation post above that one though was very ironic--and kind of scary that a teacher wouldn't have realized and approved its inclusion.)

amother

↑ Bottlebrush

Today at 10:12 am

logical wrote:

I read the blog, it was "I've been dreaming of a white x-mas..." not super religious, just asking for snow.
written by irving berlin - a jew

Check this out
https://open.spotify.com/album.....68w33

Trademark

Today at 10:21 am

For me there is a big difference between folk music, a March, or classical music and the vulgar music we often see nowadays.

I was once at a wedding and they used an intro from a really vulgar song, my jaw dropped.

You know it when you hear it, I don't think it can be perfectly delineated.