Diverse Attitudes of Religious Cultures in Israel towards Music and Music Education (original) (raw)

The Israeli Music Scene: An Essay in Secular Culture

This essay deals with some issues relating to music in Israel. Many regard music as a universal language bridging barriers thrown up by spoken tongues , but there is more to music than meets the ear, for music divides by ethnicity, social class and age. Since the middle 1960s when classic Israeliness began to be challenged, Israeli culture has become much more contentious. Canonical highbrow culture was important in creating Israel's social structure, especially differences between Ashkenazim and Mizrahim. Thus classical ''art'' music is jostled for supremacy by such genres as Israel rock, musica mizrahit, Mediterranean music, and exposure to global pop cultures. Israeli culture has developed an open market in which everyone competes for devotees.

A Comparison Between Musical Upbringing Of Jewish And Arab Students In Israel

The European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences, 2018

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 Unported License, permitting all non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Music and Islam

Contemporary Islam, 2012

Ever since the time of the earliest theology that has been preserved for us, Muslim theologians have had opinions on music. This is in no way strange. Theologians of all religions tend to have views on different aspects of music (see, e.g., Beck 2006). How can it be utilized in ritual? When is it beneficial to the soul, and when does it erode morals? Has this to do with certain scales or instruments? Is place and company of importance for judging its effect? Are the occasions and times at which music is played or listened to crucial? Are certain types of music-making suitable for all genders? Issues like the ones above have engaged Islamic scholars in debate over the centuries. Many renowned Muslim theologians have imposed restrictions on music and music listening. However, theologians are but a segment of society, albeit vocal and often seeking disciplinary power over individual and collective behavior. In fact, music has permeated Muslim societies throughout history-not necessarily because the societies were or are Muslim, but because they are human. Musical plurality is wide-ranging, from regional lullabies and working and wedding songs to the composed masterpieces of court musicians. The scales, rhythms, and instruments used often have long histories running further back than Islam as a historical phenomenon, although developments of styles and instruments and the spread of these have followed as logical consequences of the political dominance (at times, imperial power) of some Muslim dynasties and their far-reaching trade networks. There is

Music Education in Israel: Has the Essence Changed Since 1936? 1

Min-Ad: Israel Studies in Musicology Online, 2022

Menashe Rabinovitz, head of music schools in Tel Aviv and Haifa in British Mandate Palestine, reported in May 1936 to the Tel Aviv municipality's Education and Culture division, about the First International Conference of the Society for Music Education he had attended that April in Prague as Tel Aviv's delegate. Comparing his insights to the present state of music education in the State of Israel, some positive changes are identified. These include a national curriculum for music teaching in primary schools; the supervision of music classes by an officially appointed general inspector; the promotion of school choirs, and the offering of subsidized concerts by professional musicians in schools. The singing repertoire in the Hebrew-speaking state schools remains essentially unchanged: a variety of songs in Hebrew are its core, responding to the multicultural and heterogeneous Israeli society.

Music and Islamic Law

Transcendent Philosophy Journal, 2016

What does musiqa mean in the context of Islamic culture and what fields does music in the English sense cover in this culture? Historical examples are given along with the views of muslim jurists, both Sunni and Shi'ite, about music. Different types of specifically religious music are discussed from Qur'a nic chanting to nawha-kha ni and the fatwa of Ayatollah Khomeini and its historical importance mentioned. The essay then turns to sama ' and its widespread presence in the islamic world. Different types of music prevalent among muslims are then considered from music for weddings to music associated with different professions to military and music along with their legal aspect. Also both classical and folk music are studied in light of their status in Islamic society. The views of a major Persian religious scholar who was also a master musician, Master Ila hi are summarized and the significance of the fatwa of Ayatollah Khomeini for the life of music in present day Iran and to some extent elsewhere brought out.

Musical Religiosity

Temenos - Nordic Journal of Comparative Religion

In this essay the author explores the thesis that music is by its nature religious, or rather, that it has qualities that correspond well with what religion, in a broad sense, aspires to be. Four musical qualities are explored: timbre, the tonal system of western music, the time relations within the tonal network, and the non-referential nature of music. These qualities are linked to the definition of ‘the religious’ by John Dewey. The main conclusion is that an analogy can be shown between the musical and the religious experience: both composers and musicians challenge the listeners to explore the hidden religiosity in the performance of music.

Music and Singing from an Islamic Jurisprudence Perspective

2022

A mixed methods survey of views held within the Muslim community by clerics and practicing Muslims from Ibadi, Shi’i and Sunni backgrounds, as well as a hermeneutical study compared seven Madhahib (denominations), the Ibadi, Ja'fari, Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali and Nizari Ismaili Schools, in terms of their initial and prevailing attitudes and current rulings on the subject. This took the form of an online questionnaire to determine attitudes of Muslim laity across cultures and schools of thought, and semi-structured interviews of Ibadi, Shi’i and Sunni scholars. This was to ascertain from where the ideas originated, how they have evolved in various contexts, how they are applied now and how they affect the community and its relationship with them, in diverse environments and with neighbouring and overlapping communities. This may open further research on how future generations are likely to be affected, as well as possible effects on Islamic Arts and Sciences.

Musicology in Islam: A Preliminary Study

2020

The aim of this study is to discuss about Musicology in Islam. The study of music was actively done by Muslim’s scholars all over the world. Achieving these aims demands the highest levels of understanding the musicology in Islam and the greatest amount of originality from all contributors. By knowing the history and background of musicology in the Islamic world throughout the centuries, we gain the principle to utilize the talents and abilities of Muslim communities.

Music and Musical Instruments in Islam

Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception vol. 20 (Online Edition), 2023

A contribution about 'Music and Musical Instruments in Islam' under the 'Music' entry for the Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception.