The Jewish Music Heritage Project is the world's only organization dedicated to documenting and illustrating in sound the vast treasury of sacred Jewish music. In addition to its cantorial music, the JMHP All Volunteer Boys' and Men's Choir is now in training to perform and produce archival recordings of this glorious repertoire of choral synagogue music.
This magnificent legacy of Jewish liturgical music constitutes nothing less than Judaism's own classical music. It is, however, in great danger of disappearing from the bank of human knowledge because this rich heritage of Jewish music has never before been fully written down, published, or recorded.
The tradition of fine, quality music being intrinsic to prayer in Judaism has its roots in Temple days, when there was awe-inspiring and very high-level presentation of sacred music 365 days per year. So important were musicianship and precision, that non-Jews who had the needed musical qualifications were also allowed to participate. According to Jewish tradition, this resulted in many righteous converts to Judaism.
In Eastern Europe, fertile conditions existed which ultimately gave rise to a wealth of some of the most beautiful synagogue music ever created, and this music in its zenith, was, in fact, among the world's great musical-liturgical traditions.
As these Jews and their descendants emigrated to the U.S., Israel, Canada, South Africa, England, Australia, and other lands, this tradition spread and became dominant. Today, for a variety of historical reasons, this music has become nearly totally extinct.
The Jewish Music Heritage Project differs from other Jewish music projects in that it systematically and comprehensively archives and illustrates the largest and most significant part of the Jewish synagogue music heritage.
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