Prefer Jewish News on Google
Musician Ezra Furman releases song about refugee grandfather
The American Indie rocker's newest track is his most explicitly Jewish song yet
Acclaimed indie rocker (and gender nonconforming Shabbat-observant Jew) Ezra Furman isn’t shy about expressing his Jewishness in his music. But he just released his most explicitly Jewish song yet.
Furman told Consequence of Sound that “The Refugee,” which he uploaded to the SoundCloud music streaming site on Wednesday, is his “first song entirely concerned with my Jewish background and present, a song dedicated to my grandfather who fled the Nazis as well as to all of the refugees desperate for a home today.”
The song follows a character (presumably based on his Jewish grandfather) who is displaced from “frosty green Poland” (presumably during World War II) and is forced through a difficult migration, which involves “sleeping in churches” and eating grass “like a goat.”
“This is the sound of the Jew who refuses to die,” Furman sings at one point in the folky waltz, which features Eastern European-sounding string and clarinet melodies.
The song will be part of his upcoming six-song EP “Big Fugitive Life,” which is set to be released on Aug. 19 on the Bella Union record label.
Listen to the track here. (JTA)
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
