It may surprise some that Arabic culture influenced Jewish music and these adoptions are still used to this day. I know I was surprised when I learned that Jewish music contains forms that were adopted from Arabic culture, many decades ago. This paper seeks to address how Arabic culture influenced Jewish music, and to what extent. I will be discussing the various forms of music, which Jewish culture has adopted from Arab culture. .

             Arabic music has been apart of Jewish culture since the late 15th century. There are many topics which will be addressed. Some questions which will be discussed and analyzed will be: How did Arabic music and Jewish Culture first interact? When the Arabs and Jews interacted within Spain? How did the Sephardic Jews and their culture expand to the Middle East? Why did the Sephardic Jews leave Spain? What was the result of Jews mixed with Arabic culture and heritage? How had music become so popular with Syrian Jews? What Arabic influence is seen in Jewish Music? What is the "addictive- approach"? What is the "takht""? How is the Arab maqam system and the pizmomim similar? .

             First, it is important to provide background on how Jewish people got to Syria. First, based on history it is said that Jews living in Syria started in around 1,000 B.C.E., when their first synagogue was built there ( Shelemay, 1998, 33.). .

             The exact location of the first synagogue is not know, but some speculate that it was around Aleppo. Back then Jews were "tolerated and protected " by a pact called "dhimmis" in Muslim societies. They were required to pay taxes, adhere to dress and behavior restrictions, and also acknowledge that Islam was the primary religion. Jews typically worked in areas, which were not popular among Muslims; such as "trade or finance (Shelemay). They continued to work and interact in Aleppo and other various cities for centuries. Jewish people were well regarded in society as skilled "traders ".