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Breakfast events are held on Sunday mornings, starting at 9:30 AM, with the speaker usually beginning his or her talk at 10:00 AM following the bagel and lox breakfast. General admission is $10 (free for Brotherhood members).
Breakfast with Professor Josh Jacobson - Acting Director of the Jewish Music Institute at Hebrew College, entitled “The Nexus of Music and Politics in Contemporary Israel - Pushing the Button: Protest Songs in Israel”
Since the beginnings of the Zionist project more than 100 years ago, one of the greatest priorities was consensus. Jews needed to band together to combat anti-semitism and forge a new nation. Hunker down and circle the wagons. But in the late 1960s things began to change.
Israelis felt more self-confident. Israel was opened up to the wider world, including the loud voices of American rock 'n' roll and the civil rights and peace movements.
We will trace these developments as reflected in Israeli popular songs, beginning with the iconic “shir lashalom” and culminating in last year's hit, “Push the Button”. Professor Jacobson's presentation will be multimedia, using slides and music.
Joshua R. Jacobson, one of the foremost authorities on Jewish choral music, is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Northeastern University, where he served nine years as Music Department Chairman and six years as the Bernard Stotsky Professor of Jewish Cultural Studies. He is currently Visiting Professor of Jewish Music at Hebrew College and acting director of the Jewish Music Institute at Hebrew College. He is the founder and director of the Zamir Chorale of Boston, a world-renowned ensemble, specializing in Hebrew music. He has conducted workshops on choral music for various groups, including the American Choral Directors Association, and has guest conducted a number of ensembles, including the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Bulgarian National Symphony and Chorus, the New England Conservatory Orchestra and the Boston Lyric Opera Company. His many musical arrangements, editions and compositions are frequently performed by choirs around the world. He is the conductor and host of the PBS film, Zamir: Jewish Voices Return to Poland. His book, Chanting the Hebrew Bible: The Art of Cantillation, published by the Jewish Publication Society in 2002, was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. In 2004 the Cantors assembly presented Prof. Jacobson with its prestigious “Kavod Award”. Prof. Jacobson has received rave reviews for his entertaining, informative and inspirational talks. Many synagogues across America have enjoyed his lectures, sermons and workshops.