The music and musical life of Jews in Poland is a little studied topic. Prior to World War II Poland was home to 3.3 million Jews. It is estimated that 3 million Polish Jews were exterminated in the Holocaust. While some Jews left Poland during this time period, an ensconced world of musicians that contributed variously to Poland was destroyed. Guesnet, Matis, and Polonsky captured the varied musical worlds of Jews in Poland in this collection of 26 authored essays covering a wide range of musical styles spanning the last few hundred years up until the present. The essays are organised into five parts focusing on different themes: cantorial and religious music; Jews in popular musical culture in Poland; Jews in Polish classical music scene; the Holocaust reflected in Jewish music; and, Klezmer in Poland today. In the introduction, the three editors clearly state their framework: “What we have attempted to do is not to define what may well be undefinable—Jewish music—but rather to explore the activities and creativity of Jewish musicians in the many fields in which they worked in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and its successor states from 1750 to the present” (4).

The historical essays draw from sources not previously presented in studies of Jews and music-making in Poland. Throughout the publication, in each of the five parts, the focus is on music that is intended for Jewish audiences (synagogue, Yiddish theatre, communal contexts and art music) and music made by Jews in popular, artistical, and many cultural settings for general audiences. Some articles provide biographic portrayals of cantors, composers, singers, and musicians utilising Polish sources that have been translated, providing a rich connection to primary sources. Examples of the topics covered include music in contexts such as synagogues, concert halls, Yiddish theatre, cabaret, recorded music in multiple genres, and festivals. One of the many contributions of this study is the wide range of Jewish music-making in Polish culture for Jews and for Poles. Jews were involved in theatrical music of many genres including many local theatrical productions, popular music, and opera. Just as Jews were dominant in Tin Pan Alley music in New York, so too were Jews in its equivalent in Poland.

The 26 authors draw from their experiences writing in many different fields. Many are musicologists and Jewish studies scholars and others in cultural studies; some are educated researchers, and musicians are included as well. The result is a multi-disciplinary approach which includes many perspectives. One of the interesting ideas that recurs across many essays is the connections of Polish Jews to America, Canada, and Argentina. Many studies of Jewish music focus on pre-migratory culture and the levels of retention in the new locations. The scholars in these studies uncover a more complex network of musicians who went from Poland to other countries and then returned to Poland, and the noticeable influence of American musical styles and American Jewish music that was played in performances and heard on recordings. The result is a more nuanced view of “Polish Jewish music” and the porous boundaries of regions and styles.

Some interesting topics in this volume provide new explorations of individuals and influential activities. Władysław Szpilman is a well-known pianist and composer whose memoir was the basis of a film The Pianist (2002); several essays focus on his biography, compositions and impact after World War II. Several Jewish music societies formed to educate musicians and provide opportunities of performers and composers. These include: Kinnor Jewish Music Society of Tarnów, formed in 1919, and of Kolomyia in 1924; Hamangina Jewish Music Society of Jaslo in 1922; and Juwal Jewish Music Society in 1926. These societies demonstrate the significance in the opportunities of Jews to work in both Jewish contexts, like synagogue and Yiddish theatre, as well as to integrate as musicians into Polish musical culture in popular, theatrical, classical, and many other styles of music. The impact of the Holocaust is explored in several essays that focus on singing repertoire that conveys Jewish life, personal experiences, and the struggles Jews faced in life in the 1940s. The final chapters of the book discuss recent decades and the revival of klezmer and Yiddish culture including well-known festivals and activities. Waligórska’s article on Jewish and non-Jewish renewal is approached with an interesting framework of the interconnection of communities with intersecting goals that is approached with the concept of this activity as a “contact-zone.” Shapiro mentions in the final chapter the varying interest of Jewish music in modern day Poland, including the 1983 premier of Fiddler on the Roof to well received audiences with 500 performances (491). Jews and music in Poland today is a dynamic set of activities.

This volume in the Polin: Studies in Polish Jewry series provides informative essays in a nicely organised arrangement. With nearly 500 pages, this is an important and unique information. The publication includes a comprehensive index, offering easy access to information throughout the publication. This is an essential contribution to the fields of musicology, ethnomusicology, Jewish studies, cultural studies, and European studies. The publication indeed explores Jews and music-making in Poland that is engaging and accessible.