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Pulling Out the Stops
The rise and fall of the synagogue organ
Have you ever walked into a synagogue and heard an organ, and wondered what it’s doing there? Organs moved into temples in Germany in the 19th century as part of the Reform movement. And there were huge fights over the organ: Some German Jews thought it was a sign of being modern and enlightened. Others thought it was too close to Christianity and a betrayal of Judaism. The organ followed Reform Jews from Germany to the United States.
Tina Frühauf is a professional organist and the author of The Organ and Organ Music in German-Jewish Culture, which is now out in German and is due out in an English translation in 2006. A Catholic from Germany, Frühauf went on a scholarly odyssey into a world of music that was silenced by the rise of Nazism and largely forgotten. Hear her explain what attracted her to Jewish organ music, and the work of composers Louis Lewandowski and Yohanan Samuel.
Spelling Errors
How Bee Season lost its sting on the screen. Plus: An audio interview with author Myla Goldberg.
Ben-Gurion
The Tenth Man
The key to Christopher Hitchens wasn’t his iconoclasm; it was his desire for belonging—and the proof can be found in an unexpected place
Cheap Eats
An entrepreneur opened a Jewish-themed restaurant in Lviv, Ukraine. Chopped liver is on the menu, but not its price—diners get to haggle over it.
Grace Notes
Orthodox klezmer and bluegrass virtuoso Andy Statman and evangelical country star Ricky Skaggs cross genres and faiths to form a mighty duo
Goodbye to All That
For generations, the Jews of Caracas had idyllic weather, prosperity, and vibrant communal organizations. Things have changed under Hugo Chávez.
