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Dear Colleagues - This was forwarded to me by a friend. I found it most troubling and felt you ought to know as well. I do not know what, if anything, can be done ... It is very sad that the Feher Jewish Music Center must be closed down like this. Please share with your cantors and other such interested friends and acquaintances. Philip E Miller Dear friends, colleagues, partners, lovers of music and of Jewish music - A few days ago, the Director of Beth Hatefutsoth (The Nahum Goldmann Museum of the Jewish Diaspora, Tel Aviv) gave me a letter announcing that my work at the Museum will be terminated on March 31, 2008 "due to budgetary constraints", of course. The true story is yet to be fully told. The Feher Jewish Music Center has been a one-man department since its establishment some 25 years ago by musicologist Dr. Avner Bahat. Therefore, firing me has obvious implications. The continuation of the Center's activity is acutely endangered. There is obviously no need to list the achievements of the FJMC - the range of its activities, the richness and uniqueness of its collection, its collecting capacity, the CDs it released over the years, the concerts it produced, the cooperation and links it is engaged in with partner institutions and archives, the funds it managed to raise etc. The outcomes of the Center's work speak for themselves and many around the world appreciate their value. The termination of my work at Beth Hatefutsoth promptly halts the following series of endeavors, to mention but a few: · Production of a CD presenting the Passover Haggadah of Kibbutz Yagur · Release of a CD featuring chamber works by Theodor W. Adorno and Artur Schnabel · Production of a CD featuring the Jewish musical tradition of Alexandria · Production of a CD featuring the Jewish musical tradition of Copenhagen · Production of a CD including works by Arnold Schoenberg · Digitization of analogue recordings preserved at the FJMC and some of which had been donated recently · Enhancing the functionality of the new software launched recently, correction of the wrong and missing data it displays and archiving the numerous recordings still to be registered, etc. Over the last two years I had to cope with ceaseless harassment by the management of Beth Hatefutsoth toward the FJMC and with hostility towards me personally: · Attempts to prevent the Center from pursuing and accomplishing projects in progress, the funds for which had completely raised by the Center itself (for instance, the CD album Kamti Lehallel, the concert of the Leipzig Synagogal Chor, the concert presenting the Passover Haggadah of Kibbutz Yagur) · Violation of valid agreements with institutions and persons and sabotage of productive and useful working relations with them · Rejection of any idea or initiative springing from the Center, etc. Personally, I might find some tranquility now. This essential venture, though - the Feher Jewish Music Center - is being destroyed by decision makers, who see themselves as the sole possessors of wisdom and determiners of justice. · I warmly thank you, wonderful people, who have assisted, supported, trusted, donated, cooperated and encouraged me over the years · I am grateful for the opportunity I've had to work for the goals for which the FJMC had been established · I regret that the absence of the Center will pretty soon be felt, yet resonate - as it happens in our places - but weakly and briefly. If any of you would like to discuss this further, please don't hesitate to contact me any time. I really value my relationship with all of you and I sincerely hope that we will continue to work together for the cause we all cherish. With best regards, Yuval Shaked Yuval Shaked Feher Jewish Music Center Beth Hatefutsoth P.O.Box 39359 Tel Aviv 61392 ISRAEL Tel. +972-3-7457861 Fax. +972-3-7457832 http://www.bh.org.il/Music/index.aspx Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) =========================================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
