(Jewish Group) Klezmer Rose From The Ashes Of The Holocaust To Symbolize Jewish Resilience

Klezmer is the traditional instrumental music of Eastern and Central Europe’s Ashkenazic Jews, who were obliterated by the Holocaust, which has given the revival of Klezmer much of its contemporary urgency and relevance.

Klezmer can trace its origins back to the 9th century in the Rhine valley, where the Yiddish language also developed. As Jews moved to Eastern Europe, their celebratory music influenced that of the local cultures. In Belarus, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine and Poland, 19th century Polish-Russian klezmorim (esteemed klezmer musicians) who had been in Czarist military bands brought brass and woodwind instruments into what had primarily been string-based ensembles. Judaism’s ultra-orthodox Chasidic movement of the 18th and 19th centuries emphasized passionate singing and dancing while in the act of worship and bound klezmer music inextricably to Jewish festivals and joyous observances.

In present day Romania there was a definite cross-pollination between Klezmer and Roma music. And in Moldova (once Bessarabia), klezmer musicians started using Turkish scales already familiar from synagogue observances. Like Romani music, Klezmer is everywhere, influencing and being influenced by almost every musical style. Both Romani music and Klezmer have long been truly global forms of music.

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