Arno Nadel

From the beginning of the 20th century, Vilna-born Jewish poet, painter and musician Arno Nadel (1878–1943) was at the heart of Berlin’s German-Jewish cultural scene. Despite his exceptionally diverse range of artistic talents, Nadel has been largely forgotten after he was murdered in Auschwitz. This publication focuses on his contribution to the evolution of Jewish music. He was among the first musicians invested in furthering Jewish folk music in a culturally Zionist context. Commissioned by the Jewish Community in Berlin, he put together a seven-volume compendium of Jewish liturgical music that would completely reform how music was used in services of worship. While some of Nadel’s works could be saved in spectacular ways by friends of his, most of them including the compendium, were destroyed.