In Hebrew, the word for listen is shma. Shma, is the first word of one of the most sacred jewish prayers. This is the first prayer Jews recite in the morning, the last prayer they recite at night. It is often recited at the moment of death. And it is a prayer asking the Jewish people to listen.

Veronica Simmonds is a radio producer based in Canada, she has spent every day of her professional life listening. She always thought of radio as a calling but only recently has she started to connect this call to her Judaism. This shift happened when she learned that her great grand aunt Mattie Rotenburg was also a broadcaster. During the most vicious period of the Holocaust in 1943, Mattie was a commentator on the CBC Radio program Trans-Canada Matinée. And when Veronica heard one particular broadcast of Mattie’s, her understanding of listening and Judaism deepened. In order to make sense of it she took the tape to her Rabbi, Rabbi Tina Grimberg. This is their conversation.

Content warning: This piece contains graphic details of the violent persecution of Jews during the holocaust.

Air date: Tuesday 6 Sep 2022
Broadcaster: Short Cuts BBC4 Falling Tree
Producer Veronica Simmonds, Editor Eleanor McDowall 
Featuring music from Alphabet of Wrongdoing by Cantor/Composer/Vocalist Daniela Gesundheit. With gratitude to Mattie Rotenburg

Mattie's Broadcast

Anthem

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Recorded on an iPhone at the Megapolis Festival, June 2015 in Oakland, California.

Photographer Vince Donovan took instant portraits of some of Megapolis sound artists and presenters. This is his 1978 Polaroid 8 x 10 Land processor as it pushes an undeveloped sheet of film through the rollers. Vince is overheard giving a bit of explanation before you hear the Volkswagen-esque beep of the timer. 

Polaroid Developer SFX

"Creative & Innovative ways to best show APPRECIATION to persons, places, and things. Starting with you."

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All kinds of radio/documentary/sound/hustling/
+ braiding hair on air #Braidio http://veronicasimmonds.com/
www.braidioshow.tumblr.com/

Mattie's Broadcast

Veronica Simmonds

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