Bais Abraham Congregation invites the community to a special lecture, “A Guided Tour to Jewish Music,” with Assaf Shelleg, the Efroymson Visiting Israeli Scholar at Washington University, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 19 at Bais Abe, 6910 Delmar Boulevard.

Shelleg will discuss the concept of Jewish music – exploring the sounds that “connote Jewishness” and looking at whether there is a unified core to the Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Yemenite and other Jewish musical traditions.

Shelleg researches Jewish identities in Europe, America, and Israel – where host communities and migrations have constantly shaped new perceptions of Jewish music. While his doctoral dissertation (from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2008) centers around the music penned by modern European composers, his current work focuses on the emergence of music in Mandate-era Palestine and later Israel. In addition to his academic pursuits, Shelleg is an active concert pianist, specializing in the repertoire he is researching.

The lecture will be interspersed with musical examples from the synagogue as well as from the concert hall.

The cost is $10 per person. RSVP to [email protected] or 314-721-3030. Light refreshments will follow the lecture.