Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky

Crossposted from New Voices Magazine

I actually gasped out loud when I read the press release from JDub Records President and CEO Aaron Bisman this morning:

I’m writing to let you know that after almost 9 years in operation, JDUB’s Board of Directors has decided to wind down the organization.

There are Jews all over the place creating brand-new Jewish art and culture, but very few places collecting it and serving it up to the masses. And soon there will be one less.

JDub, aside from discovering Matisyahu and a lot of other great new Jewish musicians, helped create the Six Points Fellowship for artists and adopted the struggling online Jewish arts and culture magazine Jewcy.

JDub did say that it will try to find homes for its other projects, but there’s no word on specific plans for any of them. At least there’s still Shemspeed.

Perhaps the saddest thing is that the Jewish establishment tries so hard to market Jewishness as the epitome of cool. But JDub doesn’t try to be cool. JDub just is cool, and we’ll all be just a little less cool without it.

As an expression of my sadness, here are some of my favorite JDub music videos:

‘La Bush Resistance’ by Balkan Beat Box:

‘La Serena” by DeLeon’:

‘You are Never Alone’ by SoCalled:

‘Bones Become Rainbows’ by The Wailing Wall:

This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.

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