The Jewish sound of things

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe relationship between sound and material culture entails a variety of creative processes that illustrate how extensive the interface between the two can be. In this essay I explore three processes of Jewish sonic materialization: appropriation, sacralization, and play. Appropriation, or the process of imbuing common objects with the potential to produce sound that is understood as Jewish, manifests itself in Reform Jews' adoption of the guitar in liturgical and paraliturgical settings. Sacralization, or the act of creating musical material objects specifically to enhance Jewish religious rituals, will be discussed in reference to two twentieth-century attempts to modernize worship music through the use of recorded sound during services. Play, or the incorporation of sound-bearing objects into Jewish recreational activities, will be illustrated through a discussion of “singing” toys and Jewish music boxes. These case studies demonstrate the value of scrutinizing the interrelation of sound and material culture for the study of religion; moreover, with regard to material culture studies, this approach can nuance the very concept of materiality.