What does it say if the Umos haolom like our music?

Pretty much agree. I’ve quit listening to current “Jewish music” because it seems much more like rock than Modzhitz. And the volume level at chasunehs rivals that at 60s rock concerts, the ones that left so many of my generation hearing-impaired.

I was a big fan of Ben Zion Shenker, and had some of his older tapes. When I saw that “Shabbos in Modzhitz” was coming out (on cassette, in those days) I bought it almost immediately. I took it home, put it in the player, turned it on – and almost cried. All those beautiful Modzhitz nigunim had a ROCK BEAT behind them. So much for “Jewish” music.

Yes, we have a problem with below-the-radar assimilation, and our musical tastes are one element of that danger.

As far as I understand, Mr Lemmer will be singing classical / Broadway Type music not necessarily Jewish music.

It depends who. I looked up this shulem lemmer and listened to two of his songs, tniyaleh and a bit of the amar reb yosi, and they were both very earnest and eidel. I am a bit disappointed that he has agreed to sing non Jewish songs instead of insisting on singing yiddishe taam type of songs only which they can market in the name of diversity if they like, but that’s my thoughts.

It is a dangerous path to take to start compromising ones standards and bowing to secular norms, even within halacha, as bh it seems he has his Rabbanim he follows,and hopefully he’ll come to that conclusion and stronger geon Yaakov himself.

As far as the rock discussion etc. We had a presentation on music in seminary and it seems that Jewish music takes the current musical trend but infuses it with kedusha, thus elevating the style of music.

In not talking about singers who take non Jewish songs and put some tehillim to that – I think it’s a disgrace as the tune comes from the soul and inspirations of the composer and that’s not a match…

Rather for example, sephardi music has a definite different flavour to it than German ashkenazi Zemiros in line with the different music cultures of their respective countries.

But tellingly, the Arab music tends to go down with a depressing tone, whereas sephardi music is uplifting, filed with the joy of being connected to Hashem.

German music is cold and unfeeling whereas the Jewish music is permeated with an aidelkeit – submission to Hashem’s Will.

With the rock – we can say that the goishe rock is filed with immorality, while proper Jewish beaty music is infused with energy, koach and leaves one with the feeling that we can overcome our obstacles…

Maybe it’s time to produce authentic Jewish music. I doubt ainom will then find it pleasing.

Why? Good music is good music.