Turn to Traditions – Calls for Change: Negotiations over Liturgy in the Synagogues of Finland

This article explores how Jews in Finland relate to the musical traditions of their synagogues and the changes that have occurred in the customs over time and as the result of various cultural and spiritual influences. Based on ethnographic data, it focuses on rituals, liturgy, and music as contexts...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Muir, Simo 1971- (Author) ; Illman, Ruth 1976- (Author) ; Tuori, Riikka 1980- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Brill 2023
In: Numen
Year: 2023, Volume: 70, Issue: 5/6, Pages: 575-597
Further subjects:B Authenticity
B vernacular religion
B Jews in Finland
B Jewish Liturgy
B turn to tradition
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Summary:This article explores how Jews in Finland relate to the musical traditions of their synagogues and the changes that have occurred in the customs over time and as the result of various cultural and spiritual influences. Based on ethnographic data, it focuses on rituals, liturgy, and music as contexts for negotiating relationships between the institution and the individual, memory practices, and contemporary innovation – being and doing Jewish, to use concepts from the vernacular religion framework. The article outlines the historical development of Minhag Finland, the vernacular liturgical customs. It concludes that the “turn to traditions” should be stated in the plural, as several Jewish customs, cultures, and context are engaged in the negotiations around liturgy. This is not just a way to freeze time and preserve the status quo. Instead, seeking for meaningful models in the past paves the way for change – especially when turning toward a broad range of traditions.
ISSN:1568-5276
Contains:Enthalten in: Numen
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15685276-20231706