Rock historian Seth Rogovoy and Boston University music professor Jeremy Yudkin will talk about the Jewish affinities of Bob Dylan and the Beatles in upcoming virtual conversations for Toronto's Virtual J.
(TORONTO) – Rock historian Seth Rogovoy and Boston University music professor Jeremy Yudkin will join forces in February for two virtual, multimedia explorations of the Jewish affinities of the Beatles and Bob Dylan for Virtual J, the online continuing program of the Schwartz/Reisman Centre and Prosserman JCC in Toronto.
The Kabbalah of Bob Dylan, which will explore the Nobel Prize-winning rock poet’s profound connection to his Jewish roots in life and song, will livestream on Thursday, February 4, at 7:30pm (Eastern Time). Seth Rogovoy, a contributing editor at The Forward, wrote about Bob Dylan’s deep engagement with Judaism and Jewish texts in his book, Bob Dylan: Prophet Mystic Poet. Jeremy Yudkin teaches courses on Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Beethoven, and Bartók at Boston University, where he is Professor of Music and Co-Director of the Center for Beethoven Research.
The Kabbalah of the Beatles will livestream on Thursday, February 11, at 7:30pm (Eastern Time). John Lennon once said, “Show business is an extension of the Jewish religion.” While the four members of The Beatles did not themselves have any Jewish lineage, the circle of personal and professional colleagues surrounding them was heavily Jewish, from their manager, Brian Epstein, to filmmaker Richard Lester (A Hard Day’s Night and Help!) to their hairdresser, Leslie Cavendish. The very first single released by the Beatles own record label, Apple, was a version of a Sammy Cahn tune. The cover of the “Sgt. Pepper” album features a minyan of notable Jews, and Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have enjoyed long, happy marriages to Jewish women. Jeremy Yudkin, who grew up in North London during the height of Beatlemania, teaches courses on the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Beethoven, and Bartók at Boston University, where he is Professor of Music and Co-Director of the Center for Beethoven Research. Seth Rogovoy has written extensively about the Beatles’ Jewish connections for The Forward, to which he is a contributing editor.
Register for the upcoming conversations about Bob Dylan and the Beatles at the Virtual J website.