Are you interested in exploring contemporary Jewish Culture? Do you like to share and discuss ideas? Do you want to meet new people and discover new things? Join our Jewish Culture Club!
Jewish Culture Club is a free group for anyone who wants to explore contemporary forms of Jewish Culture – this could be books, TV, film, fashion, music, art, theatre and much more! The group is open for anyone aged 18 and over, whether you identify as Jewish or are just curious to discover new things.
This month we will be exploring musical collaborations! In June 2023, Israeli singer, musician and producer Dudu Tassa teamed up with award-winning English composer and guitarist Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead, The Smile) for a new album ‘Jarak Qaribak’. The album is a collaboration between Middle Eastern vocalists and musicians, celebrating different styles, traditions, and sounds. “Jarak Qaribak” translates as “Your Neighbour Is Your Friend”, with each vocalist singing a tune that originates from a country other than their own.
Jarak Qaribak album cover, source: https://www.uncut.co.uk/
Dudu Tassa was born in Tel-Aviv, and much of his music stems from his Mizrahi Jewish family. Tassa’s grandfather, Daoud, and his great-uncle, Salleh, were the famous Al-Kuwaiti brothers who had great popularity in Baghdad during the 1920s but were largely forgotten when they immigrated to Israel in the late 1940s. These songs are given new life and meaning in Tassa’s project ‘The Kuwaitis’.
During the session we will share our opinions and thoughts on this new collaboration, connecting it to how music shapes our identities and celebrates the different cultures we are part of. We will also explore stories of Jewish families connected to Baghdad and the former Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue at MJM.
Our Jewish Culture Club is FREE and open to EVERYONE, whether you identify as Jewish or are just curious to discover new things.
We are always looking for our members to contribute/co-host our workshops. If you’d like to contribute something to the session or have any questions, please email Gemma on: gemma@manchesterjewishmuseum.com
We’ll provide the refreshments, just bring yourself and an open mind!
