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.