What is the Hanukkah Quilt?
The Hanukkah Quilt is an attempt to portray Hanukkah as it has been celebrated throughout 2000 years in different corners of the planet. This series of pieces will include pieces in ladino, to portray Hanukkah in medieval Spain and the Mediterranean, Klezmer music to portray the music that was heard in Eastern Europe, Greece and the Balkans, Gregorian Chant, because Saint Judas Maccabaeus was honored by several Christian denominations, the Roman Catholic Church included, and also contemporary music as heard in Israel, America and Europe, from 12 tone music with works like Hanukkah in the Schoenberg Household to minimalist music to Neo-Classical, Neo-Romantic, Neo-Impressionistic… Right now the project has 2 pieces, “Ken es Juda Makabeo?” (“Who is Judah Maccabee?”) and Quita’l Tas (“Remove the Tray”), both in ladino, one of them, the Judah piece, with some English. They were premiered in December 2018 by the San Fernando Valley Master Chorale and the Los Angeles Jewish Community Children’s Choir.