Bucket Course: Yiddish Music 101

Overview

As a child, Abe Goldstien would spend Sunday morning’s listening to the Jewish Hour on a local radio station in Rochester, NY. Fifty years later, he rediscovered the music of his parents and grandparents and began playing Yiddish music on his accordion and with his band, The Java Jews. Yiddish 101 will introduce you to many of the songs and interesting stories behind them. You’ll learn how Irving Berlin came up with “God Bless America,” how a Yiddish tune is connected to Chunky candy bars, and how the Andrew Sisters, who weren’t even Jewish, had an international hit with a song from the Yiddish theatre. Yiddish Music 101 will celebrate Abe’s joy (with an emphasis on the “oy”) of Yiddish music.

Bucket Courses are free educational programs held in the Katherine Howell Weingart ’61 Civic Innovation Pavilion at Renfrow Hall (1033 Broad St.) and coordinated through a group dedicated to life-long learning – Grinnell College in collaboration with the Bucket Course committee. All Classes held on Wednesdays from 10-11 AM. No preregistration required, no fee to attend, and everyone is welcome.

Address & Contact

For more information, contact:

• Community Partnerships, Planning, and Research
• (641) 269-3900
• communityenhance@grinnell.edu