The Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center (JHC) at American Ancestors houses an archival collection of more than four million documents specializing in Boston and New England Jewish history. These records include everything from institutional documents from synagogues, businesses, and other Jewish organizations to the personal papers of community leaders. One particularly fascinating collection consists of the papers gathered by Mary Wolfman Epstein, a trailblazer in the world of Jewish music in Boston.
Mary was born on 18 August 1908 in Boston’s West End neighborhood to Russian immigrant parents, Morris and Sarah (Lesberg) Wolfman. Her musical talents were recognized at the young age of six by her grammar schoolteachers. By the age of twelve, she had been invited to perform at the graduation ceremony of Hebrew College’s Mattapan Religious School in 1920. On 18 August 1946, Mary married Benjamin Epstein (18 August 1906 – 2 June 1996) in Boston, and the couple established their home in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Throughout her life, Mary continued to learn and perform but she would also become a vocal teacher both privately and at the Boston Music School Settlement House, an advocate for new artists in New England, a playwright, and a leader in the endeavor to nurture a love of and interest in Jewish music.
In 1986, Mary Wolfman Epstein was described by Gladys Damon, Special to the Jewish Advocate newspaper, as “Boston’s Queen of Jewish Music”. She worked with, and co-founded, a variety of organizations which promoted Jewish music throughout New England during her life. These roles included a national and regional officer of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, director of the all-male Glee Club of the Brotherhood of Congregation Kehillath Israel in Brookline (of which her husband was a member), as well as founding member and, in 1968, president of the NEJMF.
She even founded her own management company, Mary Wolfman Epstein Management, which worked with both new and established musicians in and around the Boston area. Due to her dedication to promoting Jewish music and teaching, Mary was given an award from the National Association of Teachers of Singing in 1992, inducted into The Jewish Advocate’s “Class of Eighty-Five” in 1987, and an honorary doctorate from Hebrew College in 1994.
Mary died on 18 March 1998 at the age of 90, still living in Brookline. Just like her headstone says, “Music was her life” and it shows in the materials that make up the Mary Wolfman Epstein Papers collection.
She held onto the sheet music and scripts of the more than 30 musicals she wrote, performance programs, musical records, and photographs; all of which make up this amazing collection. Some of my favorite pieces in the collection are the records she had!
Safam is a six-man Jewish-American band which has been performing since 1974! This album, Dreams of Safam, is their debut album and was given to Mary Wolfman Epstein by Robbie Solomon, a member of the band. Their musical style is a reflection of the work Mary had been doing to promote Jewish culture through music in New England – they combine traditional Chassidic or Cantorial styling with modern Rock and Roll, Folk, and other genres.
Another record in the collection is the album titled Shemesh Sunshine by the Zamir Chorale of Boston. The Zamir Chorale of Boston was founded in 1969 and has continued to perform together since! Once again, the music they produce is a reflection of the work Mary had been doing, this time with a focus on more traditional forms of music – chorale and liturgical.
Another personal favorite artifact in the collection is the program from the concert “Memories of the Yiddish Theater” held on 22 March 1989 at the Bristol Community College Arts Center. The concert was advertised as a documentary, bringing the tradition of Yiddish music and storytelling to a modern audience with translations included!
Even though Mary has passed, the music she passionately promoted throughout her life is still inspiring people today, enriching the Jewish community in and around Boston. The Mary Wolfman Epstein Papers collection is vast, and this has been an examination of only a very small assortment of my personal favorite artifacts. The collection is available for researchers, and I highly recommend spending time with the it, connecting with the world of American-Jewish music.