The growing popularity of Jewish singers and the emergence of “Jewgrass” bands highlight Judaism’s enduring connection to music.

It was no different on July 6, 1979, when the Jewish Exponent published a story about a local Jewish rock group.

The article, titled “Jewish Rock Group Shir Chadash Is Rollin’ Along,” opens with a quote from the band’s lead vocalist: “people tell us we’re great. We’ve heard it so many times by now that we’re actually beginning to believe it!”

The author of the article, Rachel Musleah, a staff intern at the time, writes, “the local group, which plays Israeli Hasidic and American popular music for a variety of occasions, consists of Miriam Davidson, Paul Frimark, Fred Poritsky and David Seltzer. Each devotes 15 to 20 hours a week to rehearsals and performances outside of their career commitments.”

The article describes the band as unique.

“They can play James Taylor in Hebrew, sing ‘My Darling Clementine’ in Yiddish and get people to slow-dance to Leha Dodi,” Musleah wrote.

The Philadelphia band traced its roots to two of the members who performed in a synagogue choir at Temple Sinai. They formed a spin-off group called N’Shamah. Two years later, Shir Chadash was born. Poritsky said the band chose the name, meaning “a new song,” because “it was a new beginning for all four of us together.”

The article noted that all members of the band keep kosher homes and performed at the annual Simchat Torah and Israel Independence Day rallies.

“But most importantly,” Musleah wrote, “Poritsky notes, ‘we are committed to the idea of keeping Jewish music alive in Philadelphia.”

mresnicow@midatlanticmedia.com