Book Talk: Echoes of Translation: Audibility and Relationality in Indian Jewish Women's Songs
Professor Anna Schultz
Professor of Music and the Arts and Humanities, University of Chicago
The Bene Israel are a Jewish community from western India who, over centuries, developed a distinctive identity in relation to other Jewish and non-Jewish communities, translating their sounds, words, and practices to have uniquely Marathi Jewish meanings. Schultz explores sonic, embodied translation among the Bene Israel through the metaphor of the echo: a resonant, transformative, relational phenomenon. Singing this repertoire teaches singers and listeners not only how to be Jewish, but how to be Bene Israel. It also fosters sociality, providing a medium through which women echo one another, sharing cultural expertise while securing affective ties.
Co-sponsored by Jewish Studies, Middle East/ South Asia Studies, the Department of Music, and the Department of Religion, Culture, and Society.
Sproul Hall 912
4:30 pm
Thursday, April 30, 2026
