Rabbi Abulafia's Boxed Set

Tonight KCRW radio, out of Santa Monica, CA, is rebroadcasting the wonderful 2005 documentary "Rabbi Abulafia's Boxed Set." If you missed it tonight, or back in 2005, you can listen online.

From the KCRW show notes....

"For more than two years in the 1950's, avant-garde ethno-musicologist Harry Smith recorded a Lower East Side Rabbi's cantorial music, folk songs and Yiddish story-telling. The Rabbi's eccentric grandson, 81 year-old Lionel Ziprin, is hoping to re-release a condensed version of this material. It's a holy mission for him. The program you are about to hear was produced for KCRW by Jon Kalish. It has been honored with this year's Gabriel Award recognizing programs that uplift the spirit, sponsored by the Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals.

Lionel Ziprin passed away last week on New York’s Lower East Side. ....Today in his memory, we are rebroadcasting Jon Kalish’s award-winning documentary.

Here a great pair of videos on the subject.

Lionel Ziprin Part 1 - Harry Smith Recordings of Rabbi Abulafia - Jewish Liturgical Song

"Lionel Ziprin retells the story of the original recordings made by ethnomusicologist Harry Smith of the Jewish liturgical songs sung a capella by Rabbi Naftali Zvi Margolies Abulafia. Recordings made between 1953 and 1954. 18 Lp set. Filmed December 6, 1997 in New York City, the Lower East Side by Leyna d'Ancona."

Here's the second Lionel Ziprin video. And for a bonus, here's a great off-kilter video called "Songs for Schizoid Siblings" by Ziprin and Leyna d'Ancona.

Hat tip to Leyna d'Anconafor posting the videos and to David Griffin of Hebrew School for letting me know about them.