Abraham Zevi Idelsohn

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Abraham Zevi Idelsohn (Hebrew: אַבְרָהָם צְבִי אידלסון; middle name also rendered Zvi, Zwi, or Zebi; 1882–1938) was a prominent Jewish ethnologist and musicologist, who conducted several comprehensive studies of Jewish music around the world.

Idelsohn was born in Feliksberg, Latvia and trained as a cantor. He worked briefly in both Europe and South Africa before emigrating to Palestine in 1905 and establishing a school of Jewish music there in 1919. In 1922 he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio to take a position as professor of Jewish music at Hebrew Union College. His works include the Thesaurus of Hebrew Oriental Melodies (10 volumes, 1914-1932) and Jewish Music (1929). He is considered to be an author of the famous Jewish folk song "Hava Nagila." [1]

[edit] External references

• Idelsohn at the Encyclopedia Britannica