Writing on Water is an attempt to grasp the phenomenon of sound in prayer, that is, a meaning
in sounds and soundscapes, and a musical essence in the act of praying. The impetus for
the book arose from the author’s fi eldwork among traditional Jews during the era of communism
in Budapest and Prague. In that period the Jewish religion and Jewishness in general
were supressed and rituals became semi-secret and turned inward. The book is a witness
to these communities and their rituals, but it goes beyond documentation. The uniqueness
of the sounds of the rituals compelled the author to try to comprehend how melodies and
soundscapes became the sustaining/protective environment, as well as the vehicle, for the
expression of a world-orientation—in a situation where open discourse was inconceivable.
The book is based on extensive interviews, musical recordings, photographs, and scholarly
analyses. It is unique in its choice of communities, its wealth of original documents, and
its novel interpretation of sound. Writing on Water is creative non-fi ction. The presentation
is evocative and poetic, but at the same time it transmits knowledge. The book can aid
research and serve in courses in philosophy, religion, music, ethnomusicology, anthropology,
aesthetics, Jewish studies, folklore, oral history, and performance studies. It is also a work
of art and literature.