Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 10 December 2003 — Page 44

NAT 12 December 10. 2003

As I Heard It Glaser demonstrates artistic promise

Book Review Kibbutzim and the generation gap

By MORTON GOLD Over the years I have reviewed several CDs by Sam Glaser. They have been con-

sistent in their tenor, namely, that he is a talented musician; however, in general, 1 have not cared for the music I heard on these CDs. This CD, new to me, is the last one that 1 have not had the occasion to review to date. It is called "The Bridge," and if your record store or temple gift shop does not have it, one can obtain it by writing to: Glaser Musicworks, 1941 Livonia Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90034. There are 15 tracks on this CD. Without going into detail, after listening to this CD, I can state that 1 admire Mr. Glaser more as a lyricist and guitarist and in varying degrees less as a vocalist and arranger. If this is damning with faint praise, the assumption is correct in this case. Still, the man does have talent, and his music does communicate with the listener, and it is effective. His songs may not be art with a capital A, but they are artful nonetheless. That 1 may like this CD more than the others is not significant in itself, but I believe that in this CD the tunes do sound as if they belong with the lyrics and in most cases can stand on their own without the words. The orchestration, while still reflective of the secular commercial world from which the style and timbre com, is nevertheless more effective than many another track from his other CDs. What I can state here is that, on the evidence of this CD, one is witnessing the artistic growth of a talented and still young American musician, one who is a sincere and devoted Jew and one who is a friend of the State of Israel. While the music

may not be my cup of tea, it is not a poor brew and is one that others may enjoy. It has occurred to me that this year in March will be the 35th year since the premiere of my oratorio "Haggadah: A Search for Freedom," with text by Cantor Harold Lerner. After the premiere (in Temple Adath Yeshurun in Syracuse, N.Y.) it made quite a stir. I conducted it at the Cantors Convention in May, and it was performed at the New York State Fair during the summer. The following year it was performed in most of the major cities in this country, and one performance (in New Jersey) was taped and broadcast on Public TV for several years after. During the past 10 years performances have been few and far between. The last time 1 know that it was performed was when 1 performed it here in Rutland, Vt. in 2000. Whether the lack of performances is due to the fact that it calb for a decent mixed chorus and orchestra along with a fine tenor (or soprano) soloist, I cannot say. Just the same it is difficult for me to accept that this work which was received with so much acclaim is virtually unknown today. Sic Transit Gloria. While I am glad that I have paid tribute to Pesach and Shavuot with my music (along with Shabbat, Hallel, Pirke Avot, and the State of Israel) in my vocal / choral compositions, I regret that someone did not commission me to compose a Hanukkah oratorio. With that holiday virtually on our doorsteps, we still have the likes of "1 Have a Little Dreidel" to offer those who would sincerely like to program something that is both significant mid Jewish with their choral groups. While it is true we are commanded to "Sing a new song to the Lord," from my point of view we have only achieved the first part of that "suggestion." I simply cannot accept the idea that it is HaShem that we are really singing to! Dr. Gold may best be reached by writing to him at: 12 Avenue B, Rutland, VT 05701-4503, or eventually by e-mail at: [email protected].

By ARNOLD AGES Our Hearts Invented a Place: Can Kibbutzim Survive in Today's Israel? By Jo-Ann Mort and Gar}' Brenner. Cornell University Press. 210 pages. $29.95. This reviewer recalls, as one of the transformational periods in his life, a month-long sojourn at Kibbutz Saad in 1959. Saad was then one of the most successful of the kibbutzim in Israel. It combined a Mizrachi religious orientation with a superb agricultural cultivation policy (carrots, oranges, and other vegetables and fruits), and the result was a remarkable institution full of ruach and good will. In fact my work in the fields of Saad (which was near what was then called "The Gaza Strip," was so invigorating and challenging (and apparently so successful) that members of the kibbutz's directorate approached me with an invitation to become a chaver of the kibbutz. It was a high honor but one which 1 had to decline because I realized that my enthusiasm for kibbutz life was limited. Enthusiasm for this unique Israeli institution seems to have diminished greatly in the more than 40 years since my own personal experience. Authors Mort and Brenner laave conducted a meticulous study of the movement and report in their well written and absorbing study that the kibbutz in Israel, with rare exception, is in a perilous decline these days. That decline is the result of a complex skein of reasons, but the central core of the failure (perhaps too strong a word) is the economic transformation of Israel itself. The kibbutz did not and could not seal itself off from the rhythm of a state which, in the last 30 years at least, has become an engine of capitalist vitality with a GNPequal to that of far more populous European countries. The chief merit of this book is the choice on the part of the authors to use the case model to explain the dilemma of the modern kibbutz. They have chosen to focus on the example of three kibbutzim - Gesher Haziv, Hatzor, and Gan Shmuel - in order to illustrate the problems encountered by these collectives. While they are different in terms of historical origias, political orientation, and agricultural philosophy, they share the

basic difficulties of the kibbutz movement in general. Those difficulties pivot on the retention of the young, privatization within the collective, and differential salaries for kibbutzniks. These are radical developments within a movement which was founded on egalitarian principles - which have been buffeted by the economic and social realities of modem Israel. The result is that the old-style management based on that principle was leading to a hemorrhaging of the fiscal integrity of the kibbutz. Only those groups which maintained strict financial supervision over their resources have been able to weather the turbulence of the modem commercial ethos regnant in Israel. In some cases, kibbutzim have hired outside financial advisors to introduce sound fiscal management procedures. These moves, however effective on an individual basis, may not be able to stem the tide of defection, individualization, privacy concerns, and educational desires that afflict many within the current kibbutz structures. In Gesher Haziv many of the chaverim are adding to their housing units or building new homes entirely, activities which tend to go against the grain of the communitarian ideals espoused by the kibbutz's founders. At Hatzor friction results from members being paid sala-

ries that are calculated on the basis of standards outside the kibbutz, an idea which, again, contravenes the classical workreward concept that was the mainstay of kibbutz economic life. At Gan Shmuel the younger members seek a way of life that does not always include the kibbutz environment. That way of life involves changes and new development which the older generation of kibbutzniks finds difficult to accommodate. There seems to be a growing gap between children and parents in this regard. The authors' concluding remarks are honed with judicious attention to fairness. "Kibbutz members - two and three generations after the founding - are no longer revolutionaries serving their country. They are normal human beings who are sticking together in order to recreate or reengineer or simply defend a society in the throes of economic and social disorder. "While they still hold values reflecting an impulse toward solidarity, their own survival and quality of life take precedence over principles and ideals formulated by earlier generations." Arnold Ages is emeritus professor of French language and literature at the University of Waterloo (Ontario) and scholar-in-residence at Beth Tzedec Synagogue in Toronto.

• What is sacred to Roseanne and The Nanny? • How did the film Keeping the Faith redefine faith? • What popular shows reinvented Jewish law and redefined the term Mitzvah? • Did Woody Allen really choose Hell? • Which are the best big and small screen depictions of Jewish beliefs and practices? If you are seeking an insightful take on Judaism and a helpful introduction to the Jews of pop culture, or a painless way for Jewish teens to learn and think about Judaism, There is no book like Elliot B. Gertel s, Over the Top Judaism: Precedents and Trends in the Depiction of Jewish Beliefs and Observances in Film and Television Its an engaging, enlightening and entertaining study in television Judaism, complete with oral history on vintage episodes and criticism of scores of movies and TV shows. University Press of America, Inc. A Member of the Rowman and Littlefield Publishing Group Publishing Across Academic Disciplines Since 1975 Unham I Boulder I New York I Toronto I Oxford Online discounts at www.univpress.com