The Jewish New Year ushers in poignant musical memories

We sometimes think of our childhood in musical terms. Seymour Bernstein mentions hearing Schubert's Standchen that brought him to tears. Otherwise his home was bereft of music, let alone the time-honored Classics. It was mostly silent. I was bathed in Yiddish melodies that my South Bronx grandmother (bubbe) sang in her beautifully tremulous voice, but…

My Ukrainian Grandmother’s music: Preserving a Yiddish culture of Song

From earliest childhood, I remember my bubbe Bessie's tremulous voice as she sang Yiddish lullabies. The words, faintly heard, were upstaged by rapturous melodies. She was otherwise a fixture in a small kitchen, preparing chicken soup with luction (noodles); kneading dough for Shabbat challah; chopping fresh carp to make gefilte fish cakes, and throwing together…