Does anyone know when noise was created? Well, whenever it was created, Purim is the holiday when noise is celebrated.
Children, of course, had always entertained themselves on Purim with noise to drown out the name of the evil Haman. Swinging a gragger became an art on Purim, with variations on a theme. Who can 鈥済rag鈥 longer? Louder? Or create more interruptions? Or show off a new gragger made in a new style? And, of course, children enjoyed the 鈥渦pside-down鈥 nature of the holiday; what other time could they make noise during the services with impunity?
In the twentieth century, noise was transformed into recorded sound. Jewish organizations understood the power of the new technology and created recordings whose goal was to educate children through entertainment.
An early example of this genre is a recording of the song 鈥淓sther鈥 in 1928. The record was produced by Jewish Home Institute and featured the popular singer Arthur Fields (born Abe Finkelstein), in a rendition of by Samuel Grossman and Samuel Goldfarb, colleagues of pioneering Jewish educator Samson Benderly. The duo is best known for the American Jewish classic, 鈥淚 have a little dreydl, I made it out of clay.鈥
Later recordings feature colorful record jackets with children in Purim costumes waving graggers. The 鈥淧urim Holiday Music Box鈥 emphasizes the theme of education and Jewish continuity. The guidelines on the jacket advise: 鈥淭his record is expressly designed for active child participation. Your child is encouraged with your help to 鈥榣ive鈥 the holiday on his level, through singing, dramatization and creative expression of his natural rhythms. In this way, your child comes to love his Jewish heritage.鈥
Yesterday鈥檚 children were entranced by the technology of the day: songs emerging from a record which spun on a turntable. Today鈥檚 children would indubitably find the style of the songs dull, and the need to keep turning the record over to the other side, or switch to a new one every few minutes might be a source of frustration. However, even with the advent of streaming and Shlock Rock, Ishay Ribo, and the like, children still delight in twirling their graggers.
Let there be noise. And then there was noise.
Reference: For more information on the Jewish Home Institute see Jonathan B. Krasner, The Benderly Boys & American Jewish Education.
Posted by Shulamith Z. Berger
