Music Therapy Practice with Jewish People in the United States of America

ABSTRACT: The purposes of this study are (a) to highlight the diversity of the cultural and religious practices, including musical traditions and repertoire, of people who are Jewish in the United States and (b) to describe, according to practicing music therapists, how those beliefs and practices can influence and interact with music therapy practice. Fart I briefly introduces concepts important to Jewish religion and culture while Part Il consists of data from music therapists who work clinically with Jewish people gathered through questionnaires and interviews regarding their uses of music and approaches to religious and cultural matters specific to this minority group. Fart Il also emphasizes practical clinical issues and has implications for clinical practice with a variety of Jewish people and people from other groups in many music therapy settings. A number of years ago, a brief article appeared in a city newspaper describing a music therapy session with older adults. During the group, one member asked the young music therapist to hear Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries," and she honored the request. As Wagner's music streamed into the room, a woman in the group began to scream. She refused to speak for the next two days. After the session, the music therapist learned that the woman was Jewish and a survivor of the Holocaust in Europe that killed 6 million Jewish people. The Nazis used Wagner's music as a torture device (Moreno, 1999). Although unrealistic to expect mastery of all cultures, this episode exemplifies the need for music therapists in the pluralistic society of the United States to enhance their cultural expertise and to incorporate knowledge and sensitivity regarding different cultures, religions, values, and perspectives into music therapy practice. The purpose of this article is to describe the cultural, religious practices, and music of the Jewish population in the United States and how those influence current practice of music therapy and client responses in music therapy. One of the primary aims is to emphasize the diversity that exists within the broad categorization of clients affiliating with the Jewish religion and culture in order to enhance understanding applicable to appropriate uses of music and to spark insight into considerations when working with clients from other cultures or religious groups. Part I: A Brief Overview of the Jewish Population in the United States Describing a Croup Terminology. Jew. Judaism. Jewish. Jewish religion. Culturally Jewish. There are many words associated with the definition of this group, and questions loom about how to utilize these terms (Whitfield, 1999). Disagreement over terms such as "race," "people," "nation," and "ethnicity" exists (Levitt & Balkin, 2003; Schlossberger & Hecker, 1998). There is clear acknowledgement of a Jewish religion. There are people who practice "Judaism." People who identify with the culture and customs or follow the religion may consider themselves "Jewish" or "Jews." The use of the term "Jewish" is not meant to suggest a singular manner in which all of the people encompassed by this label incorporate Jewish religion, background, or culture into their lives. Rather, it can serve as a foundational identifier for this minority group from which further subdivisions and nuances can then be described. How people define their "Jewishness" may vary person to person as the Jewish population is not a homogenous group. Demographics. Considering people whose religion is or includes Judaism, have at least one Jewish grandparent, or have a Jewish upbringing, it is reported that there are approximately 5.2 million Jewish people living in the United States, constituting about 1.8% of the country's total population (National Jewish Population Survey, 2003). The largest concentration of Jewish people is found in the Northeast region (43%) (National Jewish Population Survey, 2003), often in metropolitan areas (Sheskin, 2004). …