94 | MAY 20 • 2021 

ARTS&LIFE
EVENTS

W

hen I was a child, 
one of the peak 
experiences of every 
summer was going to the home 
of Flory and Harry Jagoda to 
experience a musical festival of 
folk ballads from Bosnia. 
 During WWII, Flory became 
a translator for the American 
Army in Bari, Italy. There, she 
fell in love with Sgt. Harry 
Jagoda and immigrated to 
America with him in 1946. 
In America, they married, 
settled in Virginia and raised 
four children. My parents, also 
from Yugoslavia, fled to Bari 
to escape the Nazis. There they 
met Flory’s parents. They recon-
nected in America and formed 
a special bond. 
Flory, a beautiful woman with 
a kind soft voice, showed up for 
all our family milestone events 
and was always ready to play 
her accordion. Her smile, pas-
sion and cheerful playing made 
everyone want to sing and 
dance. Flory’s protege, Sarah 

Aroeste, put it this way: “Flory’s 
music was in her tissues.
” 
Flory’s talented musician 
friends never failed to fill the 
air with joy. The summer of 
America’s bicentennial, she 
hosted a big July 4th celebration 
where we arrived to find a huge 
lamb roasting on a spit. She 
encouraged us all to participate 
in the musical portion of the 
night. Flory taught my sister 
and me a Serbian song that we 
performed. 
Flory’s Chanukah counting 
song, “Ocho Kandelikas” (Eight 
Little Candles), is world-re-
nowned and performed by 
many, including Idina Menzel.
Her life mission was to keep 
the Sephardic melodies that 
have been passed down for 
500 years alive. She was one 
of the few people in America 
who could speak Ladino, a lan-
guage spoken by the Sephardic 
Jews (Judean-Spanish) who 
were exiled from the Iberian 
Peninsula in 1492. 

In 2002, Jagoda received a 
National Heritage Fellowship 
from the National Endowment 
for the Arts for her efforts in 
passing on the tradition of 
Sephardic songs sung in Ladino. 
She was a master artist in the 
folklife apprenticeship program 
for the Virginia Foundation for 
the Humanities and was also 
honored with the American 
Immigrant Award. In 2007, she 
performed at the Library of 
Congress to commemorate the 
library’s celebration of Women’s 
History Month. 
Flory passed away on the eve 
of “Shabbat Shira,
” Jan. 29, 2021, 
at age 97. 
Congregation Shaarey Zedek 
will share a Zoom presentation 
of Flory’s Flame, a documen-
tary about her life, at 7 p.m. 
Wednesday, June 2. 
Viewers will get a glimpse 
into her extraordinary life, told 
by Flory herself. You’ll hear 
songs she learned from her 
Nona (grandmother) as well as 

original compositions. 
Flory’s daughters, Betty 
Jagoda Murphy and Lori 
Lowell, and her granddaughter, 
Ariel Lowell, will join the audi-
ence for a Q&A session after 
the film. Ariel has the voice 
and the talent to continue her 
grandmother’s commitment to 
preserve Sephardic musical tra-
ditions with her mother, Lori, 
and her Aunt Betty. Ariel also 
writes her own contemporary 
music. 
The story of Flory’s jour-
ney before and after coming 
to America will capture your 
hearts. Perhaps there are young 
musicians out there looking 
for something new they can 
discover from this beautiful old 
Sephardic heritage? 

 The
Sephardic
 Flame

Shaarey Zedek to 
show documentary 
about Flory Jagoda.

LINDA COHEN
SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

Details
Flory’s Flame will be 
shown via Zoom at 7 
p.m. Wednesday, June 2. 
Visit shaareyzedek.org 
to register.

Son Elliott Jagoda, mom Flory Jagoda and daughters Lori 
Lowell and Betty Murphy.

Flory Jagoda rehearsing with her granddaughter Ariel Lowell.

