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#746469
charliehall
Participant

“Is goyishe music really ok”

We’ve had a lot of discussion regarding this issue in other chat forums.

First, one has to define “Jewish” and “goyish” music. Much music of non-Jewish origin has been appropriated by Jews even for liturgical use; for example, the most common tune for “Maoz Tzur” is a German tune that Martin Luther harasha used for a Christian hymn.

And it is difficult to find ANY Jewish music that is not influenced by non-Jewish styles. I’ve mentioned the atonal music of Arnold Schoenberg; it is truly like no music every previously composed. Yet even Schoenberg himself insisted that he was following in the tradition of Johannes Brahms. (And you will never hear Schoenberg played at a simchah.)