Abraham Zevi Idelsohn

Abraham Zevi Idelsohn (Hebrew: אַבְרָהָם צְבִי אידלסון‎ Avrohom Tzvi Idelsohn in Ashkenazi Hebrew; middle name also rendered Tzvi, Zvi, Zwi, or Zebi; July 14, 1882 – August 14, 1938) was a prominent Jewish ethnologist, musicologist and composer, who conducted several comprehensive studies of Jewish music around the world.

Idelsohn was born in Feliksberg, Latvia and trained as a cantor. He worked briefly in both Europe and South Africa before emigrating to Palestine in 1905 and establishing a school of Jewish music there in 1919. In 1922 he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio to take a position as professor of Jewish music at Hebrew Union College. He died in Johannesburg, South Africa.

His works include the Thesaurus of Hebrew Oriental Melodies (10 volumes, 1914–1932) and Jewish Music (1929). He is considered to be the author of the lyrics of the famous Jewish folk song "Hava Nagila.".

He is the maternal grandfather of Joel Goodman Joffe (Baron Joffe).

External references

• Idelsohn at the Encyclopædia Britannica
• On-line access to Thesaurus of Hebrew Oriental Melodies: English edition, omitting vols 3–5
• Hebrew edition, vols 1–5 only