Beyond Eshet Chayil: The musical legacy of Rav Ben Zion Shenker

While widely known for his popular melodies like Eshet Chayil, Mizmor LeDavid and Yasis Ahlayich, Rav Ben Zion Shenker – the voice of Modzitz - had composed more than 500 nigunim set to classical prayers, Psalms and Zemirot.  This lecture, presented to commemorate his third yahrzeit, will highlight a variety of his songs that express the joy of Chasidic fervor and present the composer’s recorded comments in which he discusses the background to his works.  Be prepared to sing !!!

 Dr. Ira Epstein, served as professor and chairperson of the Communication Skills Department at LaGuardia Community College, C.U.N.Y and directed the college's Technology Learning Center. In addition to his academic life, he worked as a musician performing in the Catskills, recorded with Tayku, a Hebrew jazz/rock ensemble, taught music to children in summer camps and toured with Theodore Bikel and Herschel Bernardi in the 70's as part of a UJA program. Most recently he has been lecturing to adults on comedy and music and the music of Israel and he continues to speak at synagogues, gated communities in Florida, Florida Atlantic University, senior centers, JCC’s, libraries, Road Scholar programs and at meetings of national organizations such as Brandeis Women, The National Council of Jewish Women, Hadassah and Bnai Brith. He earned his BA and MA from Brooklyn College, CUNY and his Ph.D. from Fordham University.