An Interdisciplinary Conference Series on the Relationships between Religion and the Arts, organized by Prof. Mark Kligman (UCLA) and Dr. Ruthie Abeliovich (The University of Haifa)
This 4-part online conference aims to foster an interdisciplinary dialogue on the performance and artistic creativity of “Kol Nidre” across historical periods, aesthetic forms, mediums and cultural contexts. We seek to gain fresh perspectives on the audio-visual entanglements of the performance of the “Kol Nidre” prayer. Focusing on its various artistic iterations within popular culture, as well as its numerous adaptations, we aim to rethink the theatricality and musicality of the ritual, untie the affective qualities of the ritual, explore its social performances and analyze how its inherent dramaturgical structures configure communities.
September 12th: Opening session: “Kol Nidre’s Synchronizations: The Intersection of Music, Text and Performance”
Presentations by Mark Kligman and Ruthie Abeliovich with Ruth Langer as discussant
This opening session will provide a background on Kol Nidre’s liturgical usage and its compelling history over hundreds of years. From the early days of cantorial manuscripts, printed editions of synagogue music 78 rpms recordings of hazzanut there are many representations of Kol Nidre. During this same time period this emotional prayer became a recurring subject in the theatre and popular culture providing a rich interconnection of synagogue rituals and theatrical performances.
Additional conference dates for these 90 minute sessions include: October 10th, November 14th, December 12th, starting at 9:30am PT | 12:30 ET.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD CONFERENCE PROGRAM
Register here for October 10th session.
Register here for November 14th session.
Register here for December 12th session.
This event is made possible by the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, and is part of the DYBBUK project at the University of Haifa, that has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement No. 948150). It is co-sponsored by the UCLA Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies. Additional support is provided by The International Forum for Jewish Music Studies, Cantors Assembly, European Cantors Association, Jewish Music Forum and the UCLA Center for the Study of Religion.