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Robert and Molly Freedman Jewish Sound Archive DVD collection
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Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6206
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
The Robert and Molly Freedman Jewish Sound Archive is located in Room 453 of the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Archive was founded by Bob and Molly Freedman, its current curators. The Freedmans began collecting recordings of Jewish music early in their marriage and continue to build the collection by acquiring recordings wherever they travel. Sometime in the middle or late 1970s (the cusp of the "klezmer revival"), researchers began to visit the Freedman's home in Philadelphia. Later Bob Freedman was asked to bring some of the music to a Jewish folklore class at the University of Pennsylvania, which subsequently developed into an annual visit by the Yiddish language classes to the Freedman's apartment. In 1981, Bob Freedman bought his first computer and began to list the recordings. He subsequently developed the first Yiddish font for screen display and printer, and over the years developed a database of recordings. Eventually, the collection outgrew the space available in the Freedman home and in 1996 it was donated to the University of Pennsylvania, where it continues to grow.
Historically, "Jewish music" has been notoriously difficult to define. For the purposes of the Freedman Jewish Sound Archive, Jewish music may include all genres of music produced by the Jewish people throughout the diaspora. This may include: Israeli music including jazz, rock, and pop; Jewish song in Yiddish, Hebrew, Ladino, or any number of diasporic languages; Instrumental music, including klezmer and classical music; Folk music from many countries and geographic regions; Theater music including Tin Pan Alley and the Broadway musical; Music of the holocaust; Music with Jewish literary origins; Religious music, including Chassidic and cantorial liturgical music; Music representing the Ashkenazi, Sephardi, or "Oriental" traditions of Judaism; Jewish music heavily influenced by non-Jewish music traditions and vice versa. In addition, the Freedman Jewish Sound Archive also collects spoken-word recordings that elucidate the Jewish experience including: Oral histories; Recitation of poetry or prose; Humor and comedy; Theatre performances; Radio programs. This finding aid represents the Archive's materials on Digital Video Disc (DVD). It is organized in alphabetical order by artist and title.
Gift, Robert and Molly Freedman, and others.
- Publisher
- University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts
- Finding Aid Author
- John Anderies
- Finding Aid Date
- May 23, 2016
- Access Restrictions
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The collections of the Robert and Molly Freedman Jewish Sound Archive are located at the University of Pennsylvania, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center, Room 453. Access to the collection is by appointment. Please email libyidsong@pobox.upenn.edu to inquire about the collection or to schedule an appointment.
- Use Restrictions
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Copyright restrictions may exist. For most library holdings, the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania do not hold copyright. It is the responsibility of the requester to seek permission from the holder of the copyright to reproduce material from the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts.