Music for the Passover holiday from the Mayrent Collection

Everyone is invited to enjoy these songs for Passover, which are freely available to all!  Selected from the Mayrent Collection Yiddish Recordings, the songs are featured here, with full audio, short commentary and images.

Many thanks to all the Library staff who worked together to bring these songs to the public! It took creativity, persistence and teamwork to overcome numerous challenges, all while working remotely.

Visit the Mills Music Library site for more information.

Background on the Mayrent Collection:

The Mayrent Collection of Yiddish Recordings is unique in its comprehensive scale and scope. The over 9,000 78rpm discs include Yiddish theater, popular and traditional music, cantorial songs, klezmer music, poetry, drama, and event ballads and from locations as diverse as the United States, Eastern Europe, Latin America, South Africa and Israel. The contents offer an unparalleled audio entrée into the vibrant, fascinating cultural practices of early- mid 20th century Yiddish life.

Sherry Mayrent, collector and musician, gives an engaging account of the collection’s origin and its educational and cultural potential in this video interview.

The Mills Music Library and General Library System gratefully acknowledge Ms. Mayrent’s generosity in donating this unique collection. The Marinus and Minna B. Koster Foundation, the Littauer Foundation and Ms. Mayrent have generously provided essential support for cataloging, access, and preservation.