Esther Zweig facts for kids
Esther Sommerstein Zweig (born July 29, 1906 – died August 3, 1981) was a talented American woman who composed music, wrote stories, translated books, and taught others. She was born in New York City.
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Who Was Esther Sommerstein Zweig?
Esther Zweig was a very creative person. She loved music and words. She spent her life making art through composing, writing, and translating. She also shared her knowledge by teaching.
Her Education and Teachers
Esther Zweig studied at several important schools. She went to Hunter College and New York University. She also studied in Europe at the University of Vienna. For her religious studies, she attended the Jewish Theological Seminary.
She learned from famous musicians. Her teachers included the well-known composers Walter Damrosch and Kurt Weill.
What Did She Do?
From 1927 to 1937, Esther Zweig taught choral music. She worked in Hebrew schools in New York. This means she taught groups of students to sing together.
She also put poems to music. She set poems by the Yiddish poet Aliza Greenblatt to music. This means she wrote melodies for the words. Esther Zweig was also a translator. She changed books and poems from one language to another. She translated works into English, Hebrew, and Yiddish.
In 1930, she married Jacob Zweig. Later, from 1949 to 1950, she led her own music group. It was called the Esther Zweig Ensemble. They performed in New York.
Awards and Her Legacy
Esther Zweig received special recognition for her hard work. In 1927, she got an award from the Jewish Theological Seminary. She also received a certificate of merit from the University of Vienna.
Today, her legacy continues. The Jewish Theological Seminary gives out an award every year in her name. It is called the Esther Sommerstein Zweig Education Award. This award goes to a student who shows great intelligence and potential.
Her Published Works
Esther Zweig created many works that were published. Here are some of them:
- Conquerors of Canaan (a cantata, which is a type of musical story)
- Ersht Nechtn - a work translated by Elsie Mintz, with music by Esther Zweig
- Hersh and Miriam and Other Stories - a book by Wolf Karmiol, translated by Esther Zweig
- "I Close My Eyes and Dream" (a song)
- "I Sing to You, America" (a song)
- "Salute to Haganah" - music by Moshe Nathanson, with English words written by Esther Zweig
- "When the Angels Have Their Feasting" - words by Esther Zweig, with music by Zavel Zilberts
- "You Well of Joy" opus 8 no 2 - words and music by Samuel Imber, translated by Esther Zweig
