Published: 2021-12-20

The soundscape of the shtetl in the memories of Jewish children and youth in the interwar period in Poland

Mgr Agnieszka Jeż
Journal of Urban Ethnology
Section: Articles
DOI https://doi.org/10.23858/JUE19.2021.002

Abstract

The article is an attempt to present the soundscape of small town in interwar Poland. The shtetl’s audiosphere was built by the sounds of everyday life embedded in its topography, subject to the rhythms of human life, seasons and social events – the everyday life, a part of which was also music. The ethnic and cultural diversity represented by the local community was reflected in the sphere of its musical activity. Jewish children watched this world from a different perspective than did the adults. From an early age, the “music of the shtetl” shaped their identity, which was based on a strong identification with their own group, but also on an inseparable bond with their immediate surroundings. By participating in life, children were not only passive recipients of the audiosphere, but also contributed to its enrichment, slowly preparing the shtetl for the transformations of modern times.

Keywords:

town, audiosphere, soundscape, Jewish holidays, Jews, child

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Jeż, A. (2021). The soundscape of the shtetl in the memories of Jewish children and youth in the interwar period in Poland. Journal of Urban Ethnology, 19, 31–46. https://doi.org/10.23858/JUE19.2021.002

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