Anita Frayman speaks with Ben Adler, Sydney based violinist, composer, arranger and founder of the klezmer fusion band Chutney and the Nomad String Quartet. Chutney’s debut album ‘Ajar’ recently won a triple gold medal at the Global Music Awards in San Diego. Ben is the director of Shir, the Australian Jewish Music Festival. Since the 2022 controversial artist boycott of the Sydney Music Festival over a sponsorship deal with the Israeli Embassy, Ben has advocated for Jewish artists and fought against the increasing anti-Israel hatred in the Australian arts scene. Ben speaks about his recent testimony at the Australian Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, his battle against the erasure of Jewish artists, and his conceptions of the role of music in “humanitising” Jews in the broader community. He discusses the Australian Jewish Music Festival, Shir, and its importance in promoting Jewish musicians. Ben will be performing as the fiddler in the forthcoming production of Fiddler on the Roof.

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