MEDIA CONTACT: Kristine M. McGrath
561-297-1168, kmcgrath@fau.edu
Nathan Tinanoff
561-297-2207, tinanoff@fau.edu

Historic Library of Jewish Music Soon Accessible to Listeners in Florida and Israel

BOCA RATON, FL (September 16, 2004) - Florida Atlantic University and the Feher Jewish Music Center (FJMC) in Tel Aviv, Israel will create one of the largest accessible libraries of Jewish music anywhere in the world in what is a historic cooperative effort. This partnership will allow visitors to access the combined Jewish music libraries of both institutions.

Due to the modern technology of FAU's Judaica Music Rescue Project and the FJMC of Beth Hatefutsoth of the Nahum Goldmann Museum of the Jewish Diaspora in Tel Aviv, the institutions will be able to share the music in their vast collections with each other and with listeners at both sites without having to physically touch a single recording. FJMC currently has listening stations which allow visitors to the Diaspora Museum to hear digitized copies of the original 78-rpm and LP albums in their collection. With this new agreement, these visitors' listening options will be expanded.

Although FAU's Judaica Music Rescue Project, which is housed at FAU's Wimberly Library, lacks similar listening stations at the present time, plans are in the process for the construction of these stations. When completed, visitors to FAU's Boca Raton campus will be able to listen to digitally enhanced copies of original vintage Jewish music from the Rescue Project's own collection and from the collection of the FJMC.

The Judaica Music Rescue Project aggressively seeks donations of phonograph recordings of Jewish music, especially 78-rpm records. "There is a sense of urgency in this work since the records are fragile and many people do not realize their historical and musical value," said Nathan Tinanoff, director of the music project. Once at FAU, these records are cleaned and carefully stored. The music they contain is catalogued, digitized and enhanced so that listeners can enjoy the music from "The Golden Age of Jewish Music." In addition to its primary focus of rescuing 78 rpm records from the first half of the 20th century, the project has expanded its scope to include LPs, tapes, 45s and sheet music.

For further information about FAU's Judaica Music Rescue Project, contact Nathan Tinanoff at 561-297-2207 or visit www.fau.edu/jewishmusic.

- FAU -

The FAU Judaica Music Rescue Project is dedicated to finding, archiving, restoring and digitizing all the Jewish music that has been recorded on 78-rpm phonograph records. It began in the spring of 2002 with a collection of about 1,000 vintage 78-rpm recordings of Jewish music. Today, the collection exceeds 10,000, making it one of the largest collections of vintage Jewish music in the world.