The Jewish Music Forum is an organization devoted to the study of Jewish music in all of its historical and contemporary diversity. The Forum seeks to provide a new context for interdisciplinary dialogue and scholarly exchange in the growing academic field of Jewish music studies as well as to serve as a critical intellectual resource for artists, educators, and others interested in the role of music in Jewish life. Founded in the fall of 2004 as a project of the American Society for Jewish Music, with the support of the American Jewish Historical Society and the Center for Jewish History, the Jewish Music Forum is coordinated and administrated by a committee and assisted by a large international advisory board with active partners in the American Society for Jewish Music and Center for Jewish History. The Jewish Music Forum hosts an annual series of scholarly presentations showcasing the latest research in Jewish music, and presents scholarly conferences that highlight topics within Jewish music studies, seeking to broaden our perspectives by including scholars from other disciplines.

Our last program, on November 22, 2020, was the keynote speech delivered by Yael Sela to conclude the conference “Psalmody through the Ages: Music and the Book of Psalms.

Current projects

February 18, 2021 – “Strategies of Holocaust Survival in German-Jewish Musical Life” featuring Hernan Tesler-Mabé, Karen Painter, and Abby Anderton

March 11, 2021 – “Sisters in Song: Women cantors and musical creativity in progressive Jewish worship” featuring Rachel Adelstein with a response by Benjie Ellen Schiller

April 20, 2021 – “Transcendent Melodies: Exploring the Music and Cultural Context of Ishay Ribo” featuring Gordon Dale

The Jewish Music Forum does not have a formal membership, though its parent organization, The American Society for Jewish Music does. The audience for our presentations is composed of scholars and knowledgeable enthusiasts of Jewish music. Our talks are always free and open to the public. The content is always scholarly in nature, but also accessible to a public audience.

We send email blasts, and maintain a Facebook page.

What are your goals for the next three years?
To continue to showcase the latest Jewish Music research, to promote the Musica Judaica journal, and to grow the field of Jewish Music research by bringing in scholars from adjacent fields of study.

Who runs your organisation?
Executive Director, Gordon Dale (gdale@huc.edu)

Associate Executive Director, Samantha Cooper (smc867@nyu.edu)

President of the American Society for Jewish Music, Michael Leavitt