Congregation Beth Emeth

Adult Learning: Romaniote (Online only)

Wednesday, February 19, 2025 • 21 Sh'vat 5785

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

The Romaniotes are a Jewish community originating in mainland Greece and the surrounding area, with the city of Ioannina in Epirus, Greece, as the historic and spiritual epicenter. Their two-thousand-year history in Greece almost came to an end during the Holocaust leaving only a few practitioners of the distinctive Romaniote musical practices, including Torah cantillation. Finding the Torah cantillation of her father's Romaniote (Greek-Jewish) heritage was on CBE member Susan Detwiler's bucket list for decades. Finding Dr. Miranda Crowdus* in 2017 made that goal possible. Together, they are creating an electronic Trope Table of the Romaniote cantillation, accessible to any individual.Dr. Crowdus will discuss the liturgical music of the Romaniote tradition, and, with Susan, the process of finding, recording and developing the Trope Table. (Zoom program)