Music Forms the Rich, Diverse, and Contested Heart of Jewish Custom

Jan. 15 2025

In rabbinic literature, minhag, or custom, is often contrasted to halakhah, or law, with the latter being binding—even as the former often has a powerful legal status of its own. From ancient times, such customs also distinguished local and regional communities from one another, especially when it came to liturgy. Matt Austerklein writes:

Music is perhaps the richest, most diverse, and most contested of Jewish minhagim. It is what gives us sonic solidarity with our fellow communities, whatever flavor they may be, and comprises core musical (and mystical) folkways relating to prayer, study, and the lifecycle. Yet music is also the most “promiscuous” of cultural forms, flying through the air like disease and worming its way into unsuspecting ears.

Music as minhag is thus a distinctive form of intergenerational Jewish practice and heritage. It is a dynamic force, absorbing and rejecting elements of the surrounding national soundscape and transforming them for Jewish purposes. Yet it also contains immutable elements which pass between the generations. Whenever Jews have needed to flee or migrate, they have carried their musical customs like matzah upon their backs, keeping their continuity as one nation of many nationalities.

Read more at Beyond the Music

More about: Jewish music, Liturgical music, Tradition

Kuwait Should Be the Next Country to Make Peace with Israel

Feb. 13 2025

Like his predecessor, Donald Trump seeks to expand the Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia. But there are other Arab nations that might consider taking such a step. Ahmad Charai points to Kuwait—home to the Middle East’s largest U.S. army base and desperately in need of economic reform—as a good candidate. Kuwaitis haven’t forgiven Palestinians for supporting Saddam Hussein during his 1990 invasion, but their country has been more rhetorically hostile to Israel than its Gulf neighbors:

The Abraham Accords have reshaped Middle Eastern diplomacy. . . . Kuwait, however, remains hesitant due to internal political resistance. While full normalization may not be immediately feasible, the United States should encourage Kuwait to take gradual steps toward engagement, emphasizing how participation in regional cooperation does not equate to abandoning its historical positions.

Kuwait could use its influence to push for peace in the Middle East through diplomatic channels opened by engagement rather than isolation. The economic benefits of joining the broader framework of the Abraham Accords are overwhelming. Israel’s leadership in technology, agriculture, and water management presents valuable opportunities for Kuwait to enhance its infrastructure. Trade and investment flows would diversify the economy, providing new markets and business partnerships.

Kuwaiti youth, who are increasingly looking for opportunities beyond the public sector, could benefit from collaboration with advanced industries, fostering job creation and entrepreneurial growth. The UAE and Bahrain have already demonstrated how normalization with Israel can drive economic expansion while maintaining their respective geopolitical identities.

Read more at Jerusalem Strategic Tribune

More about: Abraham Accords, Kuwait