The Yiddish Book Center's

Wexler Oral History Project

A growing collection of in-depth interviews with people of all ages and backgrounds, whose stories about the legacy and changing nature of Yiddish language and culture offer a rich and complex chronicle of Jewish identity.

Can Yiddish Music Be Heard As Word Music?

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Henri Oppenheim, klezmer musician based in Montreal, critiques the focus on lyrical content in Yiddish music over musical experience. He considers this to reflect prejudice about the purpose of Jewish music, and seeks to make Yiddish music that focuses on the music more than the lyrics.

This is an excerpt from an oral history with Henri Oppenheim.

This excerpt is in English.

This interview is part of the Yiddish and the Arts: musicians, actors, and artists series.

Other video highlights from this oral history

Reflection on Transmission of Jewish Identity and Culture

2 min 19 sec

Setting Yiddish Poetry to Music

6 min 41 sec

Understand a Language to Understand the Soul

1 min 51 sec

Grandmother's Jewishness: Warm, Strong, and Tasty!

3 min 11 sec

From Math to Klezmer Music

4 min 13 sec

The Mysteries of Jewish Music

1 min 53 sec

It's Important To Know History, and Then Forget It

1 min 50 sec

Activism and Jewish Music for Francophones

2 min 44 sec

Learning Yiddish to Go Deeper Into and Beyond Klezmer

1 min 47 sec

Learning Yiddish and Love of Words

1 min 17 sec

More information about this oral history excerpt

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