Since Oct. 7, many Jewish and Israeli artists have turned to various forms of creative expression — from poetry to interpretive dance — to cope with the pain in the aftermath of the attacks. Music is no exception.
Havurah, a New York City-based collective of Jewish artists, released a Jewish unity album called “Common Blue.” The album’s title is a nod to the national butterfly of Israel, the common blue, and reflects its themes of Jewish resilience and interconnectedness.
The eight-track record features covers of classic Jewish songs by contemporary Jewish artists. From timeless liturgical music to modern classics by legends like Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, each song gives Jewish identity a fresh indie spin.
Unpacked chatted with Havurah’s music director, Leah Dunn, who shared how they brought the project to life to meet this moment in Jewish history and how the album serves as a “collective love letter to our tradition.”
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
What do you think the album says about the Jewish spirit and Jewish identity?
I think it’s about resilience and making something out of the past year we’ve had. It’s also about interconnectedness. We had artists from all over the world, some that we had worked with before and some that we messaged after the war started. Everyone was longing to connect with other Jews who felt similarly to them, they were much more willing to take on a project with someone that they didn’t know.
What is a Jewish artist to you?
I think it’s anyone that’s engaging with their Jewish identity in an artistic way. It doesn’t necessarily have to mean making music in Hebrew. Take Leonard Cohen, for example, he alludes to different [Jewish] themes.
Then there are artists we’ve worked with, like Marni Loffman, who makes reinterpretations of Jewish texts. And then some people have this sense of Jewish dark humor that filters into their work. For this album, specifically, we wanted to pick songs by people who were known as Jewish artists, so we have covers by Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, and Lou Reed, who was particularly impactful for me to listen to today, because he was writing about what it felt like to be a Jew in a progressive world.
So much of Judaism comes down to a sense of peoplehood. It’s not only a religion — it’s a people. And so I think any way of engaging with a sense of being part of a broader nation or people is also part of it.
How do you strike a balance between honoring the ancient traditions of Jewish music while giving contemporary artists the freedom to bring their unique interpretations?
I can speak of my version [of “Shir HaMa’alot”] because that is a more traditional song. I tried to keep some of the original instruments in the song that I was covering by Joey Weisenberg, like the bongos and tambourine, and then I just played his guitar melody on electric guitar. I was trying to find a way to incorporate original elements and then also add on different things. For me, it was a big synth exploration. But I think [you approach Jewish music] in a way that feels like you’re uncovering something, as opposed to [thinking] it has to sound this way because this is what pop music sounds like.
The album was released just before the first anniversary of Oct. 7. How did the events of Oct. 7 and the aftermath influence the creation, tone, or message of “Common Blue?”
It’s sad to say, but [Oct. 7] is the main reason that we have the album. It gave us the push to really feel like we could and we should make an album. Shortly after Oct. 7, Eitan Gutenmacher, one of the co-founders of Havurah, had this idea to release something. It started as an EP, but then we decided to turn it into a full album.
I’ve always been the one saying, ‘Let’s take it slow,’ but everyone felt like they needed to do something, and they felt like they were putting something good into the world. The process of making it was a nice distraction from the news and everything that was happening. Generally, people were wanting good news in the Jewish world, and to be a vehicle for that to happen felt really important. It became more about Jewish resilience and showcasing Jewish identity and art during this time.
We didn’t want it to be original songs because I think when something so huge like that happens in the world, and then you’re forced to process it and write about it and document it right after, it can be difficult to make something that can stand the test of time. Plus, that’s a lot to put on someone as a writer who’s also living through [this period of Jewish history]. It felt like a good time to call upon works that already existed. Doing so is another way of keeping something [enduring and lasting], because the songs are already more than today’s time frame. It’s going back to works from the 60s and 70s.
Some of the artists on the album have faced backlash for supporting Israel, and have even been excluded from performing at some venues. Can you talk more about this? How do you see the role of art, particularly music, in navigating these kinds of political and social challenges within the Jewish and broader artistic communities?
When I interviewed Tamar [Radah] for Havurah when I was doing a profile on her, she was talking about her experience as an Israeli, being uninvited to some international festivals and being ghosted by the international music community.
There’s definitely a fear for less established Jewish artists right now, which is really unfortunate, especially when you see venues supporting a certain stance, and then you no longer feel necessarily welcome to play there. Thankfully, no one said no to this album out of fear. Everyone that said yes really wanted to be a part of it. And it didn’t feel like anyone was particularly afraid of how the album was going to be perceived or their contribution to it.
All we can do right now is be honest and create spaces for performance and music or any type of art that feels welcoming, and we’re trying to do that through this album. It’s such a shame because art is something that is supposed to bring people together, but there’s become a dividing line based on politics, and that’s not necessarily what art is for. The best we can do is just try to create instead of feeling scared to perform in certain places.
How has Oct. 7 changed your view of music and artistry?
Unfortunately, I feel like many Jews have felt like they’ve had to turn to the Jewish corner of the art world to find work, find people to work with, and find places to show their work or perform. And I hope that it will not continue to feel that way. But also, it’s not necessarily a bad thing that we’re coming together as an artistic community and supporting each other right now.
What do you hope listeners gain from the album?
I hope that they find artists and songs that they didn’t know before, maybe even find a style of music that they didn’t know. I hope that they can feel empowered to embrace Jewish identity and Jewish music that’s relevant today, and I hope that it makes people excited about listening to Jewish music.
Common Blue is available to stream on all music platforms.
