From Taylor Swift to Tehillim: Ashkenazi Identity and Modern Songwriting with Shep Rosenman

Shep Rosenman, an entertainment lawyer and songwriter, discusses his roots as an Ashkenazi Jew from Far Rockaway, New York. Shep details the origins of his names, explaining how his grandmother feared his given name, Shabtai, would link them to the false messiah Shabbetai Tzvi. He describes his linguistic upbringing as primarily English, yet deeply infused with his parents’ Yiddish phrases like “abi gezunt” and “nisht shabbos geredt.” Through his songwriting based on the Psalms, Shep builds spiritual connections and invites listeners to engage with ancient texts. He concludes by discussing his preservation of ancestral Yiddish songs and traditional Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation.Heritage Words – conversations about the words we inherit and the meaning they bring to our lives – is produced by the HUC Jewish Language Project and HUC Connect.Host and producer: Sarah Bunin BenorAssistant producer: Kyle Elbaz FingerhutEditor: Avishay ArtsyVideo editor: Talia EhrenbergTheme music: Maurice El Medioni’s French and Algerian Judeo-Arabic album “Cafe Oran,” featuring the Klezmatics’ David Krakauer and Frank London, courtesy of Piranha Records.