When we talk about Jewish and liturgical song, it is convenient to modify first of all a few usual references. The transmission of this music is not written, with a classical musical notation, but oral, at best based on singular musical signs that do not correspond each one to a note but just indicate the pitch of sounds, their lastings or a melodic line. Moreover, they have a grammatical signification. We could imagine a transcription of this music according to our rules. But we still are in front of a few difficulties. An important liberty is left to the interpreter as well as to the historico-geographical conditions. Life in diaspora, by its importance in time and space, allowed an integration of various musical traditions : slave, muslim, ancient, oriental, etc.

Judaism as a basis
In these conditions, we could conclude that there is not only “one” jewish music, no unity reference being perceptible. One criteria is however identifiable : its indissoluble link with judaism. The jewish cult prohibits images as much as it authorizes and even asks for recourse to music. The only real criteria to identify jewish music is its content : ft sends back to the Bible, to the magnificence of G'od and Creation, to the jewish people, its pains, joys, sufferings, hopes, prayers, feasts... Jewish music does not aim at free esthetic. It is not either cerebral or aimed at reason or intelligence. The vocation of jewish music is to waken dormant soul, to provoke its shaking. Just like the sound of shoffar does it, this ram horn sounded for Rosh HaShanah the jewish new year and for Yom Kipur the most moving moment of the jewish calendar. Thanks to it, soul becomes opened to spiritual life, to the intuitive knowing of G'od. In the Bible, the basic book of jewish identity, music is omnipresent. From the first page to the last one, we do not read the Bible but we sing it. After he crossed the red sea, Moses sang, prophetesses sing, David sings, dances, plays lyre or harp, and composes a part of psalms. Pilgrims “went up” to Jerusalem singing (the famous “Going up songs”). Each feast has its characteristic and popular songs and Shabbath above all is particularly rich in this field. Very often the Rabbi is at the same time a hazzan cantor, which means a chorister. So happy is the community in which the Rabbi is such a talentuous hazzan. No doubt that the congregation will come with pleasure at the synagogue.

Yehuda
It is the case 0f Yehuda Berdugo, Rabbi and cantor, coming from a Moroccan Family (Meknes) where they are rabbis from father to son since the mists of time. According to the tradition reported by the Encyclopedia Judaïca this family descends from the exilarch Boustenay, himself coming from davidic descent. This family included many rabbis, Chief Rabbis, Dayanim Rabbinic judges, very influent among the most important rabbis in Morocco. Yehuda has been impregnated since his birth with Judaïsm, ritual, feasts and songs. He has never had to “learn” his profession. His education allowed him to organize study thoroughly and consolidate what was in fact his life since childhood. At home, they sang all the time and Judaism rhymed with music. After he left Meknes, he turned naturally towards the rabbinic career. After having exerted the function of rabbi in the community of Charleroi (Belgium); Belfort and Grenoble, he has been requested by the jewish community of Vincennes Ashkenaze (Paris) where he still is at the present time.