Weinberg, Jacob

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WEINBERG, JACOB

WEINBERG, JACOB (1879–1956), composer and pianist. Weinberg taught in his native Odessa from 1915 to 1921 and emigrated to Ereẓ Israel in 1922. He left for the United States in 1926.

His works include the opera The Pioneers (Philadelphia, 1926; He-Ḥalutz 1932), one of the first operas based on life in Ereẓ Israel; music for the Sabbath morning service, Shabbat ba-Areẓ (1939), an experiment in the use of Palestinian folk melodies in modern style in the synagogue; and Tefillot le-Shabbat ("Prayers for the Sabbath"). He also wrote oratorios, Isaiah (1953), and The Life of Moses (1955); music for texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls, and The Gettysburg Address (1954).

bibliography:

L. Appleton (ed.), Four American Jewish ComposersTheir Life and Work: Gershon Ephros, Solomon Rosowsky, Heinrich Schalit, Jacob Weinberg (1962–63), 25–33, includes bibliography; Sendrey, Music, index; Baker, Biog Dict s.v.

[Edith Gerson-Kiwi]

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