Richard Goodman is a thoughtful man. His quiet, measured voice doesn't give away his passion, but he is a man willing to wade into a very volatile issue -- the legacy of anti-Judaism in Christian choral music.

We are engaged in a telephone conversation about his family's support of the ICJS Music Project and our recently released public radio program, Sing to the Glory of God. Richard is a San Francisco-area lawyer who is currently the trustee of the Marco Goodman Trust. "Our family philanthropy is centered primarily on Jewish and Israeli concerns like Hebrew University and the Jewish Federation of the Greater East Bay," he explains.

Since the issue of anti-Judaism in choral music is not widely discussed or understood, I ask why he's chosen to take it on. His answer exhibits a good lawyer's sense of the precision of language when he identifies himself as a member of a commu-nity that sings together for the love of music: "I'm an amateur chorister."

Richard's first confrontation with anti-Judaism in choral music came when he sang in a chorus that was performing Men-delssohn's St. Paul. In this work Jews are portrayed as corrupt, conniving, and searching for any pretense to stone to death first Stephen, then later, Paul himself. "Discovering anti-Judaism in this work was a total surprise since Mendelssohn was a Jew by birth. When I tried to engage the choral director in a discussion, he refused to mention it either to the chorus or to the audience. As a result, I chose not to sing in that performance."

This experience, however, launched Richard on an intensive study of Christian anti-Judaism in general and of its manifes-tations in choral music in particular. He discovered that few choral directors are aware of the discomfort that certain works cause in Jewish choristers and audience members. Further-more, while the subject of Christian anti-Judaism has prompted serious scholarly debate, at least in the United States, there is very little scholarship that addresses this issue in the context of choral music. A shining exception, according to Richard, is Michael Marissen (Professor of Music History at Swarthmore College and a panelist for Sing to the Glory of God), who has taken on this topic in his ground-breaking book Lutheranism, Anti-Judaism, and Bach's St. John Passion.

Not all Christian choral music troubles Richard. "I have no problem singing masses, magnificats, and many other pieces of Christian sacred music that do not mention Jews," Richard explains. "However, some of the most cherished works in the choral canon, like Handel's Messiah and Mendelssohn's Elijah, contain a subtle form of anti-Judaism even though they do not explicitly disparage Jews. What they engage in is Christian supersessionism, which is the appropriation of Jewish history and of its sacred texts in a way that delegitimizes Judaism."

As we speak, Richard's voice is intense, but never loses its calm, purposeful tone. I wonder how he feels about the notion that most of these works are sung in German, a language that is not understood by a majority of audience members.

"Presenting a work in a foreign language does not eliminate this problem. For one thing, translations are always available and audience members are encouraged to follow the text. Furthermore, the choristers are urged to express the inten-tions of the composer even when they do not share them. They can be put into the position, therefore, of giving vitality to anti-Jewish sentiments."

Richard pauses for a well-measured breath, then continues, "The larger problem is that the New Testament is the source of the great body of choral work. It has taken centuries for the Christian world even to acknowledge the possibility that its sacred text is infused with anti-Judaism, and this idea remains extremely controversial."

Richard Goodman and the Marco Goodman Trust have taken a first step toward addressing anti-Judaism in choral music with the funding of Sing to the Glory of God and their sponsorship of future programs that will dig even deeper into the sources of anti-Judaism in music. They believe as we do that careful study undertaken by Christians and Jews who love and appre-ciate the music is the only path to understanding, progress, and perhaps, one day, fundamental change. What might that change mean?

"It would be a great step forward, " Richard says, "if choral conductors could even be made aware that this is a serious issue." In addition, Richard hopes to encourage choral conductors to adopt more accurate translations and, where appropriate, to eliminate movements containing offensive texts. Finally, audiences should be alerted to this issue, and the works performed should be placed in their artistic and historical contexts, either through program notes or pre-concert lectures.

Clearly, Richard Goodman is a strong and skillful voice in the vital conversation between Christians and Jews.

Sing to the Glory of God: The Legacy of Anti-Judaism in Christian Choral Music was produced by Richard L. Paul in partnership with the ICJS and Goucher College. The Marco Goodman Trust, the Children of Harvey and Lyn Meyerhoff Fund, and the Jane and Worth B. Daniels Fund of the Balti-more Community Foundation funded the program. Sanford Ungar (President of Goucher College) is the host. Featured scholars include Michael Marissen, Tom Hall (Director of the Baltimore Choral Arts Society), and Luke Timothy Johnson (Emory University New Testament scholar). For a CD or for further information on the ICJS Music Project, please contact call 410-523-7227.