Paul Ben-Haim and Bracha Zefira

The collaboration between composer Paul Ben-Haim and singer Bracha Zefira is one of the most significant musical partnerships in the pre-state and young state of Israel. Together, they laid the foundation for a new Israeli musical style that combined Western art music with the diverse traditions of the Middle East.

Two paths cross

Paul Ben-Haim, born Paul Frankenburger in Munich in 1897, was a classically trained composer and conductor. After emigrating to Palestine in 1933, he searched for a new musical language that combined his European education with the sounds of his new homeland.

Bracha Zefira was born in Jerusalem in 1910 to Yemenite Jews. After the early death of her parents, she grew up in various foster families, including Sephardic households. This multicultural upbringing enabled her to immerse herself deeply in the musical traditions of the Mizrahi and Sephardic communities. Her time in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Yemin Moshe, where she lived with a Sephardic widow, was particularly formative. There, she heard She first heard Jewish-Spanish romances (Ladino songs) from the women in the neighborhood. Later, she learned traditional Sephardic songs from Alberto Hemsi and Yitzhak Navon.

In the 1940s, Zefira approached composers like Paul Ben-Haim to rearrange her songs. Ben-Haim was fascinated by the Sephardic and Yemenite melodies Zefira taught him and began incorporating them into his compositions.

A creative symbiosis

Between 1939 and 1957, Ben-Haim created over 30 works based on melodies he learned from Zefira. These include important compositions such as "Hitragut" (1939), his Symphony No. 1 (1940), and the Quintet (1941). Zefira frequently performed with Ben-Haim at the piano. Their concerts with the Palestine Symphony Orchestra (later the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra) were considered milestones in Israeli musical history.

Zefira was not only a performer but also a passionate collector of traditional songs. She regularly visited the neighborhoods of her childhood to learn songs from older women and participate in local festivals. Although she could read music, she was unable to write it, so she asked composers to accompany her in collecting the songs. Ben-Haim and others, however, preferred that Zefira sing the songs to them, who would then arrange them.

Tensions and cultural contrasts

Despite the creative success, the collaboration was not without tensions. Zefira later criticized the orientalist attitude of some composers who viewed her music as exotic rather than recognizing it as an equal art form. In her memoirs, "Kolot Rabim" (1978), she criticized the approach of Ben-Haim and others who transposed her melodies into Western art music without fully grasping their cultural depth.

A lasting legacy

Despite these differences, the collaboration between Paul Ben-Haim and Bracha Zefira remains an outstanding example of the fusion of different musical traditions. Their joint work contributed significantly to the development of a unique Israeli musical style that continues to influence composers and musicians today.

Zefira's commitment to preserving and sharing traditional songs, along with Ben-Haim's ability to integrate them into art music, created a musical legacy that reflects the diversity and depth of Israeli culture. Many Ladino songs experienced a renaissance and have survived to this day.

In fall 2025, the JCOM will explore the music and culture of Sephardic Jews in the project THE KEYS OF TOLEDO. This project is funded by the Foundation for Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ) and the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) as part of the "National Socialist Injustice" educational program.

Current concert dates at www.jcom.de/konzerte .