How Jewish choirs shaped community and identity.
ONLINE
TUESDAY, 2:00-3:30pm (ET), April 14 - 21, 2026
“When we sing together, our voices become one—lifting us from ‘I’ to ‘we,’ and from ‘we’ to something far greater.”
—Debbie Friedman
Course Description:
From the Yiddish-singing garment workers of the early Workmen’s Circle Choir on Manhattan’s Lower East Side to the explosive rise of modern Jewish collegiate a cappella, the Jewish choral movement in America is a story of harmony, identity, activism, and joy. This course traces how Jewish choirs—professional, communal, and grassroots—have given voice to generations of American Jews, turning music into a powerful force for belonging, cultural expression, and social change.
Discover how choirs became havens for immigrants, rallying points for labor movements, laboratories of Jewish creativity, and sources of pride on college campuses nationwide. Through rare recordings, archival stories, and unforgettable melodies, we’ll explore how group singing has shaped American Jewish life for over a century—and how its legacy continues to resonate today.
Tuesdays, 2:00 - 3:30 pm (ET)
Dr. Alan Mason is a graduate of the University of Miami, where he was awarded the Doctor of Music Arts degree in 1993, and the Manhattan School of Music, where he was awarded the Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees. Additionally, Alan has completed Post Doctoral studies at Northwestern University (Operatic and Vocal Accompanying), and Hebrew Union College (Liturgy and Worship for Synagogue Musical Directors). Alan is Professor Emeritus of at Barry University, where he retired in 2014, and presently teaches Music History for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes at the University of Miami and FIU, and JCC-U at the Miami Beach JCC. Alan is the Director of Music at Bet Shira Congregation, and the conductor of HaZamir Miami, a chapter of HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir.
