Committee for Promoting Distinctive Jewish Music in Palestine Being Planned

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency Mail Service)

Professor David Schor, the composer and Professor at the Moscow Academy of Music, who has arrived here on his way to Palestine, explained his plans at a gathering held yesterday at the home of Dr. Bernhard Kahn, the European Director of the Joint Distribution Committee.

Notwithstanding the undoubted musical ability of the Jewish people, Professor Schor said, nothing was being done to develop distinctive Jewish music and Jewish musical life. Twenty-five years ago they had organized in Russia the Society for Jewish Music, which was able by the aid of the gramophone to save at the eleventh hour a treasure of Jewish folksongs which would by now have otherwise fallen into oblivion. A group of young Jewish musicians had gathered round the composer Joel Engel in order to help in the creation of a distinctive Jewish music. Jewish music, however, could find a real home only in Palestine. Twenty years ago Professor Schor had founded on his first visit to Palestine the first two school of music in Jerusalem and Jaffa. Both these cities now have academies of Music and there is a smaller school of music in Haifa. The Hebrew opera, directed by Golinkin, is doing splendid work. There is also the Institute of Synagogal music founded by the composer Rosovski. It was essential now, Professor Schor continued, to unify all these musical factors in the life of Palestine and to enable them to develop as one whole. There is a great love and longing for music in Jewish Palestine and it was their duty to beautify the lives of these hard-working people in Palestine by giving them the music which they so loved. Famous musicians like Heifetz and Godovsky had great ideas about the establishment of a big modern Conservatoire in Palestine. The town of Tel-Aviv had presented a site for a “House of Music.” If all this work is to bear its proper fruit, the Jews in all countries who loved music must get together and cooperate. It is as important to provide the Jews of Palestine with cultural food as with physical food.

On the proposal of Professor Schor supported by Dr. Bernard Kahn, it was decided to take steps for the formation of a Committee in Germany for the promotion of Jewish music in Palestine.