We all know that many Jews have written popular music for the Christmas season. But in the world of classical or orchestral music there many examples of music that are also of importance to Jewish people. Along with the brilliant music itself, an analysis of the background and the stories of the individuals behind it is very interesting and enlightening. Using YouTube examples, you will have the opportunity to hear and see some of the best performers in many famous venues and concert halls from around the world. Howard Mednick, the Classical Music DJ, will provide you with an experience that is informative, entertaining and fun.

The three programs will be as follows:

Jewish Themes In Classical Music By Non-Jewish Composers (Feb. 16)

As we all know, much classical music was composed in order to serve the purposes of the Christian church. However, several well-known composers created masterworks using Jewish themes for their music. In some cases the composer’s music, surprisingly or not surprisingly, has become, or should become, an important feature in modern Jewish society. The composers George Frederich Handel, Bederich Smetana, Max Bruch and Giuseppe Verdi, all non-Jews, really did compose music that is significant to Jewish life today. This presentation will provide some interesting insight into the relationship between Judaism and classical or orchestral music.

Classical Music In The Holy Land – Founding Of The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (Feb. 23)

The IPO was founded in 1936 in British ruled Palestine. But there is a great story behind the founding of the orchestra. It is a tale of bravery and defiance on the part of one man, Bronislaw Huberman, who was at the time the leading violinist in Europe. His mission was to rescue as many Jewish musicians as he could from the oncoming menace of Nazism. As a result of his efforts many lives were saved and a great orchestral tradition in the future State of Israel was created. This presentation will include the same music as was heard in the inaugural concert of the IPO, with more details on the story of how it came to be.

Jewish All Star Composers (Mar. 1)

In the March 2017 World Baseball Championship tournament, a team from Israel acquitted itself very well in terms of its success on the field. The team was made up of American “Jews” according to the criteria of the Israel Law of return. That is, one had to be a practicing Jew, have a Jewish parent or grandparent, or be married to a Jew. Note that Italy and Greece, which are not regarded as baseball powerhouses, had similar criteria for their teams. Along these lines we also have the Jewish All Stars of the classical music composing world. The all star team consists of some familiar names including Felix Mendelssohn, George Gershwin and Aaron Copland, along with some others who may surprise you. It looks like a winning team, come hear them.