The Origins of Jewish Liturgical Music

Where do the tunes sung in the synagogue come from? Many of the more traditional melodies originated in the 18th or 19th centuries, but the oldest annotated cantorial music can be found in a 15th-century manuscript—and it sounds strikingly familiar. Matt Austerklein presents a survey of the evolution of the music of Jewish prayer in Europe, from the 9th century to modern times, with musical interludes. (Video, 65 minutes. Starts around the 24-minute mark.)