University Press of America Emotions in Jewish Music: Personal and Scholarly Reflections

Emotions in Jewish Music is an insider's view of music's impact on Jewish devotion and identity. Written by cantors who have devoted themselves to the study and execution of Jewish music, the book's six chapters explore a wide range of musical contexts and encounters. Topics include the spiritual influence of secular Israeli tunes, the use and meaning of traditional synagogue modes, and the changing nature of Jewish worship. The approaches are both personal and scholarly, describing the experiential side of Jewish music in both practical and philosophical terms. Emotions in Jewish Music reveals much about the emotional aspects of Jewish musical expression. About the Author Jonathan L. Friedmann is cantor of Bet Knesset Bamidbar and Valley Outreach Synagogue-P’nai Tikvah, both in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is professor of Jewish music history at the Academy for Jewish Religion, California, and is the author or editor of eight books, including Jewish Sacred Music and Jewish Identity (2008), Music in Jewish Thought (2009), Perspectives on Jewish Music (2009), and Quotations on Jewish Sacred Music (2011).