This week, the students have been learning about Klezmer music, and the Ahavah Rabah (with an abundant love) mode. They know that a mode is a scale that starts on a note other than the base note of a scale, and that the Ahava Rabah mode has a specific, almost sad sound when played alone. However, when used to compose melodies, from classical to klezmer, the mode is very versatile, and conveys a variety of different moods.
An example of Classical Ahava Rabah Mode
An Example of Klezmer Ahava Rabah Mode
In addition to learning about the Ahava Rabah mode, we have expanded our Yiddish vocabulary with descriptive words such as freilich (happy), gutt (good), shayna (beautiful), meshuggah (crazy) and nouns that are brought to mind when listening to certain kinds of music in the Ahava Rabah mode: chutzpah (daring), shalom (peace), naches or simcha (joy), bagalan (chaos), and tsuris (anxiety).
Today, the students began a musical art project in which they convey the many "moods" of the Ahava Rabah mode. They listened to various examples of music in this mode, and expressed their feelings through art.
In Hebrew, the students are learning how to form the letters of the alef bet. This week's letter is lamed.
Musically, we have been learning many new songs, as well as revisiting some old favorites. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the 5th and 6th graders enjoyed singing Betzelem Elohim (In the Image of God) with Erik:
On Sunday, the students had an opportunity to learn a new dance to Adamah VeShamayim.
Next Sunday, we are very lucky to have an expert in Yiddish and Klezmer come to visit our class. We look forward to learning even more about this, and other types of Jewish musical expression.
This Chanukkah, Temple Isaiah spread Chanukkah cheer by dancing in a flash mob at Walnut Creek's Broadway Plaza. It was a blast to dance in front of everybody in the Plaza!
This week we learned about the Ashkenazi Jews in Europe in the 18th and early 19th century. The Jews were offered political equality and citizenship in the nations of Europe. Before the Industrial and French Revolutions, the Jews considered themselves a separate nation. They lived in ghettos, but could finally become professionals, manufacturers, and sometimes (in France, and eventually other countries) become citizens. The Rothschilds were a dramatic symbol of Jewish success in the new era in Europe. In Italy, Germany, Austria and Hungary, Jews were given political rights. There was a new social class, the industrial working class. Jews became merchants, manufacturers and professionals.
Today, we learned about the blues, and how klezmer music is often thought of as the "blues" of the Ashkenazi Jews. Borne of hard times, both musical genres express sadness and hope. We even wrote some verses to a 12 bar call and response blues song based upon the difficult life of Jews in the ghettos of Europe. Here are the first two verses, and a link to the song "Stormy Monday," which is the basis for the lyrics that we wrote today. Try to sing along, or write a verse of your own!
The Jewish Ghetto Blues
By Shira
My life here in the ghetto is hard as it can be
My life here in the ghetto is hard as it can be.
Because I'm Jewish, my destiny is misery.
With sadness on my shoulders, I bench (pray) four times a day.
With sadness on my shoulders, I bench (pray) four times a day.
With all this praying, they still don't treat me the same way.
We also had the opportunity to see and hold some really old Hebrew prayer books, with Yiddish and English.
In Hebrew through movement, we are learning our directions (left, right, front and back) and how to count in Hebrew.
Also, we are also learning how to dance to Mayim Mayim:
