There Was a Fire

The first edition of There Was a Fire is a National Jewish Book Award FinalistThis book is about the power of memory, the human need for narrative, and theability of music to encode and deliver the two. It outlines the role of the Jews whocame to America from Eastern Europe during the late 19th and 20th centuries andhelped define the spirit of the American Dream: a concern for the average man and apenchant for tikkun olam, healing a shattered world. This is the story of howpopular music made the ethical framework for 20th century America possible, wherepopular song led to personal freedom, and social justice was only a chorus away.Newly revised and updated, the book includes the advent of Trump, Black LivesMatter, COVID-19, and streaming services such as Spotify and their impact on theJewish experience and American Music History.