Description
Book SynopsisAn exploration of Jewishness among the fan base of the band Phish, and how spirituality, ritual, and identity function in the world of rock and roll.
Trade Review“Readers of This Is Your Song Too will gain a more nuanced, appreciative understanding of both Jewish and Phish communities, with their deep histories, their varied constituencies, and their rich implications for identity formation—whether readers are insiders to these communities or outsiders looking in with interest.”
—Dr. Jnan A. Blau,Associate Professor of Communication Studies, California Polytechnic State University
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
INTRODUCTION
The People of the Helping Friendly Book Oren Kroll-Zeldin and Ariella Werden-Greenfield
SET 1 “SHARING IN THE GROOVE”: PHISH AND JEWISH CULTURE
1. From Summer Camp to Summer Tour: Phish and the Cultivation of Jewish Cultural Identity Oren Kroll-Zeldin
2. Performing Jewish Identity and Community Through Phish’s “Avenu Malkenu” Jacob A. Cohen
3. “Finest in the Nation”: The Food of Phish and the Jewish Experience Evan S. Benn
4. Exploring Jewishness and Queerness on Phish’s Dance Floor Isaac Kandall Slone
5. I’ve Been Wading in the Whitest Sea: Reflections on Race, Judaism, and Phish Caroline Rothstein
6. “Feeling Weightless in the Sea”: Phish and Overcoming Cancer Benjamin David
SET 2 GOD ON TOUR: JUDAISM AND THE LIVE PHISH EXPERIENCE
7. Beyond “Avenu Malkenu”: Fan Responses to Sacred Music in Phish’s Musical Canon Ariella Werden-Greenfield
8. “All Times and Seasons Are the Reasons”: How Phish Brought America to Shul Mike Greenhaus
9. “Where the People Come to Pray”: Sacred Pilgrimage and Communal Rejoicing from the Ancient Temple in Jerusalem to YEMSG Jessy Dressin
10. “Pull This Timber ‘fore the Sun Go Down”: The Joys and Questions of Shabbat Observance at Phish Josh Fleet
11. Phish Jews: Improvisation as Religious Orientation Joshua S. Ladon
12. Tour and Torah: Jews and Crews from the Sages of the Gemara to the Ragers on the Rail Noah Munro Lehrman
ENCORE “ALL THINGS RECONSIDERED”: REFLECTIONS ON PHISH AND JEWISHNESS
13. “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav” Comes to Phish: An Interview with Shirley Halperin
14. Bringing Phish to the Holy Land: An Interview with Rachel Loonin Steinerman
15. Blessed by Bass: An Interview with Marc Brownstein
16. Becoming the General of Jam: An Interview with Jonathan Schwartz
17. Mike’s Corner Reprise: An Interview with Mike Gordon
Afterword Dean Budnick
List of Contributors
Index
