18 ALIYOT: ISRAELI FOLKLORE AND MUSIC OF THE DIASPORA

Taught by Noam Vazana
Thursdays 3:00 pm – 4:15 pm
4 Sessions, September 3 – September 24
Registration deadline: August 31
$125 ($105 for JxJ Donors of certain levels*)

Amsterdam-based Israeli singer, composer, and folklore expert Noam Vazana guides a global exploration of the Jewish sound through 18 songs. Each of classic tunes from Germany, Russia, Yemen, Morocco, Poland, Ethiopia (and more) represent 18 Aliyot (migration waves). Each song encapsulates a culture, setting, or feeling from its place of origin, as well a strand of Israeli cultural and personal identity brought over through the music. Taken together, these beloved sounds offer an eye-opening reflection on how Israel came to be the multi-cultured, vibrant, and complex state it is today.

This four-part lecture and conversation series is an audiophilic dive into the Ashkenazi culture of Europe; the Sephardim of Andalusia; the Israelites of Africa; and the melting pot of Klezmer in Hollywood. Each class will be accompanied by rare archival video and photos courtesy of the National Library in Jerusalem.

Teacher: Noam Vazana is an acclaimed international singer, composer, pianist and trombonist, and an enthusiast advocate to the revival of Ladino language. She has toured extensively throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America (performing at JxJ and the Kennedy Center in 2019) and regularly lectures and speaks on panels about Sephardic Culture, Ladino, Folklore and more.