Author Description

Using the documents assembled by the World Centre for Jewish Music in Palestine (WCJMP) during the five years of its activities in the late 1930s, this volume examines the history of European Jewish music on the eve of its destruction. The many voices of the musicians and intellectuals forced to flee from the growing spectre of Nazism speak in this book about the transformation of the Jewish communities of Europe, the difficulties faced before and during exile, and the growing human and cultural tragedy faced by European Jewish culture. Bohlman has translated selected documents from the correspondence and publications of the World Centre for Jewish Music, introduced their unique and compelling themes, and provided commentaries on all documents and their authors.