In the early 1970s, a young Jewish summer camp and youth choir leader burst onto the scene of formal synagogue music and introduced a new way of singing Jewish songs that would eventually result in a revolution in Jewish music. Debbie Friedman (1951-2011), starting out first in St. Paul, Minnesota and then moving to Chicago, gained a foothold among synagogue audiences first as an arranger and composer of Jewish music for young people in which she took traditional songs, often using both Hebrew and English lyrics, and set them to original and very contemporary folk-rock compositions. In establishing her new approach to synagogue music, Friedman fought against both gender and musical stereotypes and ended up revolutionizing the way music is used in contemporary Jewish services. This lecture will provide a brief biographical sketch of Debbie Friedman and explore both her musical and social/gender contributions to Jewish practices in the late-20th and early 21st centuries.

Clifford Wilcox, Ph.D., is a historian who focuses on American intellectual and cultural history and Jewish Studies. His courses concentrate on the intersection of culture, ideas, politics, and religion in American history.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50 years of age and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university-level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.