James Loeffler

A recent wave of performances turns Jewish composers into shadow images defined only by their status as Hitler’s victims

Idan Raichel mixes traditional Ethiopian music, prayers, and funky beats to create dance tracks that speak to young Israelis

A hipster scholar makes room on his provocative playlist for the jubilant, in-your-face shtick of Mickey Katz

Madonna, Gwen Stefani, and the pliability of Jewish music

A dubious portrait of Shostakovich as dissident has been debunked, but motifs in his work underscore his discord with Soviet power.