Black Music Sunday: For Hanukkah, let's enjoy some kosher gospel with Joshua Nelson

[Brexiter]

Jewish people around the world will light the first candle of Hanukkah on Sunday night. So for today’s Black Music Sunday, let’s explore and share the music and inspiration of Joshua Nelson, a Jewish Black American.

As the forces of hate, white supremacy, and antisemitism are out in the open and fanned by the vitriol spewed from the mouths of both former and current Republican elected officials (including a has-been POTUS, the talking heads on multiple wingnut broadcast and social media outlets, and a rapper who has been uninvited from the Black BBQ), there are people who have been and are currently fighting the ugliness by building bridges. Some do it with music. Joshua Nelson is one of them.

RELATED: Black and Jewish musicians and songwriters forged musical history—together


Black Music Sunday is a weekly series highlighting all things Black music. With 140 stories (and counting) covering performers, genres, history, and more—each featuring its own vibrant soundtrack—I hope you’ll find some familiar tunes, and perhaps an introduction to something new.

Meet Joshua Nelson, who brings Black and Jewish communities together with his special brand of “kosher gospel.”

He’s the king of kosher gospel https://t.co/HOT4OB5wAv

— The Jewish Standard (@JewishStandard) July 20, 2022

Joanne Palmer wrote about Nelson for the Jewish Standard in July.

Mr. Nelson’s family history is complicated. “My grandmother passed away 12 years ago, at 94,” he said. “She was African American — she had roots in Senegal — and she was Jewish, and she adopted my mother.

“It was really a secret,” he continued. “She couldn’t have children.” It was a very different time then.

[...]

“My grandmother didn’t want my mother to know; she was afraid that if my mother did know, she would say, ‘Well, I’m not really your kid.’ She wouldn’t have said that. I know that.

“My mother was given up for adoption by a Romanian Jewish lady who had a relationship with a Black guy. She couldn’t keep the child.”

Eventually both Mr. Nelson and his mother met his biological grandmother, and he went to Romania to learn more about her background, and his.

Nelson’s story was told in-depth in 2004 through a 54-minute documentary from Greenroom Productions, titled Keep on Walking with Joshua Nelson: The Jewish Gospel Singer.

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As the production company describes it:

This rousing documentary is a celebration of Joshua Nelson, a young African-American, observant Jew who transcends the differences between races and faiths through his music. Nelson is both a gospel singer in the tradition of Mahalia Jackson, and a Hebrew teacher. Through his composing, gospel singing, and chanting of the Torah, Joshua is the musical embodiment of cultural and racial harmony. Filmed on location in Nelson's hometown of Newark, New Jersey, as well as in St. Louis, Stockholm, and Jerusalem.

In 2011, Michelle Gerhard Jasny recounted this origin story about Nelson’s embrace of “Kosher Gospel” for the Martha’s Vineyard Times.

The first time the Reverend Al Sharpton heard a recording of Joshua Nelson belting out a gospel version of the Jewish song “Adon Olam,” he reportedly said, “I can hear that’s Mahalia Jackson, but what language is she singing in?” The language was Hebrew, and the musician was Joshua Nelson.

Mr. Nelson knows that he sometimes confuses people. They don’t know what to make of this handsome, outgoing black man in an ornate skullcap singing Jewish songs in the style of African-American gospel. “They’ll be so confused,” he laughs. “They’ll just say, ‘You know what? I’m going to just look at that person as an individual instead of trying to put him in a category.'” That’s good, because Joshua Nelson is in a class by himself.

[...]

After graduating from Newark’s Performing Arts High School, Mr. Nelson spent two years in Israel on a college and kibbutz program. “I was inspired by the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem,” he said. ” I think it was Cantor Naftali, and he had a male chorus. They were singing in Hebrew, but it sounded exactly like a cantor with Mahalia Jackson background singers. I said ‘Wow!’ and just had to shout ‘Hallelujah!’

“Then when I returned home I said ‘I’m gonna start Kosher Gospel Music.'”

Here is Nelson’s version of the aforementioned “Adon Olam,” live from Temple Sinai in North Dade, Florida, during the 2015 Cantor Shulkes Music Festival.

YouTube Video

The prayer/lyrics, in Hebrew and English:

Adon Olam

Adon olam, asher malach, b'terem kol y'tzir nivra. L'et na'asah v'cheftzo kol, azai melech sh'mo nikra.

V'acharey kichlot hakol, l'vado yimloch nora. V'hu haya, v'hu hoveh, v'hu yih'yeh b'tifara.

V'hu echad, v'eyn sheni l'hamshil lo, l'hachbira. B'li reishit, b'li tachlit, v'lo ha'oz v'hamisrah.

V'hu Eli, v'chai go'ali, v'tzur chevli b'et tzarah. V'hu nisi umanos li, m'nat kosi b'yom ekra. B'yado afkid ruchi b'et ishan v'a'irah. V'im ruchi g'viyati, Adonai li v'lo ira


The Lord of the Universe who reigned before anything was created. When all was made by his will He was acknowledged as King. And when all shall end He still all alone shall reign. He was, He is, and He shall be in glory. And He is one, and there's no other, to compare or join Him. Without beginning, without end and to Him belongs dominion and power. And He is my G-d, my living G-d. to Him I flee in time of grief, and He is my miracle and my refuge, who answers the day I shall call. To Him I commit my spirit, in the time of sleep and awakening, even if my spirit leaves, G-d is with me, I shall not fear.

Before the performance, Nelson talked to the audience about his love for and tributes to Mahalia Jackson, and about his commitment to taking care of his grandparents for 12 years. After he tells the audience that his grandmother’s strength reminded him of Hannah Szenes (Senesh) who gave her life to help others, he sings “Eli, Eli,” a song based on her poem, A Walk to Caesarea.

YouTube Video


Nelson was introduced to a wider audience by Oprah Winfrey, who heard him singing and invited him to perform live on her show as one of her 2004 “The Ones to Watch. Later that year, he performed the gospel song made famous by Mahalia Jackson, “Elijah Rock,” at An Evening of Healing, benefiting the Maya Angelou Center for Minority Research in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

If you look closely at the audience, sitting next to Oprah is Angelou—Nelson rocked both of them up and out of their seats.

YouTube Video


I love live performances, and Nelson performing at the Jewish Cultural Festival in Krakow, Poland, in 2005 is no exception.

In 1988, one year before the official end of communism in our country, Janusz Makuch and Krzysztof Gierat organized a series of events presenting Jewish past of our country and Jewish contribution to its development. For the first time after WWII things Jewish became again a part of a cultural social dispute in a positive context. For many years things Jewish in Poland were a taboo. Those, who were killed during the Holocaust and those, who were expelled from our country in 1968 were not a part of social memory in our country. The first edition of the festival started to change it and inaugurated an important process of regaining Jewish identity of our country.

From that small, local event, the festival has grown to one of the most important cultural events in our city and country. Outside of Poland, Jewish Culture Festival in Krakow is one of the best known, recognized and appreciated by both artists and audience cultural events from Poland.

Every year the Festival features almost 300 events during 10 days. 30,000 participants from many countries of the entire globe take part in workshops, lectures, discussions, guided tours and of course in various musical events: from concerts to DJ-parties to jam sessions. 150 artists, instructors and lecturers share their experience with our audience.

The audience response was an inspiration. Watch Nelson sing “Hine Ma Tov” in two different styles.

YouTube Video


Lyrics:

Hineh ma tov u'mana'yim,

shevet achim gam yachad

Hineh ma tov u'mana'yim,

shevet achim gam yachad


Hineh ma tov,

shevet achim gam yachad

Hineh ma tov,

shevet achim gam yachad


Psalm 133. Translation from Hebrew:

"Behold how good and pleasant it is for brothers and sisters to live together in unity"

Nelson has also frequently performed with The Klezmatics.

In the rich and colorful Yiddish language there are expressions that vividly convey virtually any emotion or action. One such phrase is farshafn a sakh freyd un fargenign, which means to give much joy and pleasure. Farshafn a sakh freyd un fargenign perfectly encapsulates the happiness that the Klezmatics have delivered to the passionate millions who have discovered their music since the band’s formation more than 25 years ago. In that time, the Klezmatics have raised the bar for Eastern European Jewish music, made aesthetically, politically and musically interesting recordings, inspired future generations, created a large body of work that is enduring, and helped to change the face of contemporary Yiddish culture. Not bad for a bunch of Americans who each came to klezmer music almost by accident!

Since their emergence more than 30 years ago, the Klezmatics have raised the bar for Eastern European Jewish music, made aesthetically, politically and musically interesting recordings, inspired future generations, created a large body of work that is enduring, and helped to change the face of contemporary Yiddish culture. Often called a “Jewish roots band,” the Klezmatics have led a popular revival of this ages-old, nearly forgotten art form.

In 2005, the Klezmatics recorded a live album with Nelson and jazz vocalist Kathryn Farmer, Brother Moses Smote the Water.

Brother Moses Smote the Water, the Klezmatics first-ever live CD, documents the band’s critically-acclaimed 2004 open-air shows at Berlin’s Heimatklange festival and their collaboration with the extraordinary African-American Jewish gospel singer Joshua Nelson and jazz vocalist/organist Kathryn Farmer. This cross-cultural celebration of freedom songs from the Passover and black spiritual traditions also includes rocking versions of favorite Klezmatics anthems and, as an added treat, a bonus video clip

Israeli journalist Eyal Hareuveni reviewed the concert album for All About Jazz.

The concert begins with the traditional Jewish song "Eyliyohu Hanovi" (Prophet Elijah), which is sung during the Passover Seder, when each family open its door to invite the homeless and the hungry. Frank London trumpet solo accompanies the Klezmatics' Sklamberg's devotional vocals, which are followed by an electrified version of Mahalia Jackson's spiritual "Elijah Rock," led by Nelson's roaring vocals. They continue with one of the Klezmatics' staple songs, "Shnirele, Perele," calling for the Messiah to come and bring peace to all peoples in the land of Israel. Nelson add his high cantorial vocals to the sweet chanting of Sklamberg.

The African-American spiritual "Go Down Moses," the catalyst for this project, now a standard in some modern Passover Seders as well as some jazz circles (check out the 1995 Verve release by Charlie Haden and Hank Jones, Steal Away), is sung soulfully by Kathryn Farmer, who trades solos on the Hammond B3 with the alto sax of the Klezmatics' Matt Darriau.

"Moses Smote The Water" is sung a cappella, and Sklamberg, who learned the song from the Golden Gate Quartet '78 album as a kid, leads the choir. Sam Cooke's inspirational transformation of the spiritual "Oh Mary Don't You Weep" gets a new reading that celebrates both versions. While Nelson sings his version of Jackson's biblical tale of Noah and the Ark, "Didn't it Rain," accompanied by the Joshettes (Sklamberg, Farmer, and the Klezmatics' Lisa Gutkin), the skies open up in a sudden downpour in an amazing transcendent moment. The Klezmatics close this concert with their signature anthem, "Ale Brider," an ad lib Yiddish Socialist cry for universal brotherhood/sisterhood and a dedication to make this world a better place.

Here’s the band and Nelson performing the aforementioned “Shnirele, Perele.”

YouTube Video


Lyrics:

Shnirele perele

shnirele perele, gildene fon,
mashiekh ben david zizt oybn on.
er halt a bekher in der rekhter hant,
makht a brokhe oyfn gantsn land.
oy omen veomen, dos iz vor,
mashiekh vet kumen hayntiks yor,
oy omen veomen, dos iz vor,
mashiekh vet kumen hayntiks yor. (2x)
vet er kumen zu forn, veln zajn gut yorn.
vet er kumen zu raytn, veln zajn gute zaytn.
vet er kumen zu geyn, veln ale yidn
in erets yisroel aynshteyn. (2x)
shnirele perele, gildene fon,
mashiekh ben david zizt oybn on.
er halt a bekher in der rekhter hant,
makht a brokhe oyfn gantsn land.
oy omen veomen, dos iz vor,
mashiekh vet kumen hayntiks yor,
oy omen veomen, dos iz vor,
mashiekh vet kumen hayntiks yor. (3x)

English Translation

(REF)(2x)
Ribbons, pearls, golden flags
The Messiah, son of David, is above us
He holds a goblet in his right hand
And gives his blessing to the whole earth
Amen and amen, this is the truth
The Messiah will come this year
Amen and amen, this is the truth
The Messiah will come this year
(BRIDGE)10
If he comes by riding, good years are ahead
If he comes by horse, good times are ahead
If he comes by foot, every Jew
Will be settled in the land of Israel

They also collaborate on a rousing version of “Didn’t It Rain.” It’s an old Negro spiritual about Noah and the flood made famous by Mahalia Jackson, and also recorded by a wide range of other artists, including Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Johnny Cash.

YouTube Video


Since Ms. Mahalia Jackson, Nelson’s idol and inspiration, has been mentioned throughout this story, I would be remiss not to include her.

Here Ms. Jackson is herself, singing “Didn’t It Rain” at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1958.

YouTube Video


RELATED: Mahalia Jackson: Honoring the Queen of Gospel

As Nelson notes early in his documentary, there have been longstanding ties between the Jewish and Black communities here in the U.S.; in 2017, I documented some of that history in “Fleeing from swastikas in Germany, they found refuge at HBCUs in the Jim Crow south.”

RELATED: Blacks, Black Jews, and Black Panthers in Israel

Let us learn from that history, and move forward together. We can do it with music.

Meet me in the comments for even more music, and Hanukkah Sameach!