Happy Anniversary To Us

The Ingathering is a year old

Can you believe it’s been a year? What started a year ago as an ambitious Corona project has blossomed into the place—if I can be so bold—for intelligent discussions about Jewish and Israeli musics and artists. We have interviewed over 50 artists (and counting), and that list includes Israeli superstars, underground warriors, jazz heads, young upstarts, and bonafide world music legends. We also covered the coolest curated collection of Jewish music from the Maghreb, an Israeli music school that caters to the specific needs of religious musicians, an avant-garde poet who partners with musicians, and so much more. 

Writing this newsletter has been an eyeopener as well. If nothing else, I saw how Jewish music is a gateway to understanding the diversity of the Jewish people. The Jewish community is anything but monolithic, and Jewish music has thrived in regions as disparate as the Veretski Pass in modern-day Ukraine, the Yemeni city of Sana’a, Greenwich Village coffee houses, and as the defining voice of mid-twentieth century Iraqi pop. Jews have lived, seemingly, everywhere, and have been influenced by—and have also made a significant impact on—the cultures and peoples with whom they lived.

It was also refreshing to learn, in the words of trumpeter and composer, Frank London, “That we weren’t the only people on earth who had no great music.” Jewish music is incredible, and getting to explore that in depth has been as rewarding as it has been thrilling. 

And yet, we’re just getting started. This newsletter has only scratched the surface, and still has to explore Israeli metal and techno, Hebrew language hip hop, the New York Andalusian revival, and even more that I haven’t heard of (hit me up in the comments and turn a brother on).

The Ingathering has been featured in the Jewish Daily Forward, and by Substack as a newsletter you have to read. We have just under 1,100 subscribers, and—with your help—that’s still growing. Our social media presence isn’t that great, but getting there. Follow our handle on Twitter, and—yes, I know, it needs to be updated—our page on YouTube. 

We’ve got some great features on the horizon—although it’s been harder to book interviews now that most of the world’s lockdowns are over—but for the time being, here’s some great stuff for you to enjoy:

Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey. The best is yet to come, and there’s still an abundance of music to explore. 

Sending love and positive vibes -

Tzvi