Search Tips
Quick Search
We strongly recommend using the "Quick Search" on the panel to the right of this page, and which will appear on all pages in this archive. This is the simplest easiest to use and most of the time the most efficient method for searching our archive.
You can enter any combination of characters in this field. The system will search every indexed field in our database to find exactly that string. The search is NOT case sensitive. Note that if you enter multiple words, it will look for these words in that exact sequence.
It is usually best to pick a single word that is specific. Searching on the word "the" will not be very productive, while searching on "rosenblatt" will bring all our recordings by Josef Rosenblatt and many others by other artists.
Keep in mind that performer's names and track titles are entered in our database as given on the record. This is not always consistent when the songs are transliterated from other languages. You should try a few variants of the spelling. For example, looking for "ovinu malkenu" you may want to try "avinu" and "malkeinu" for example.
Another handy trick with the "Quick Search" tool. If you wish to search for a full word as opposed to a sub-string in a word (thus reducing the number of irrelevant hits) you can type a space followed by the word. For example, if you type "emesh" you will find many hits with shemesh. if you type "{space}emesh" you will only find entries with that word in them.
Advanced Searches
More advanced searching features are available under the "Search" link on the left panel of this page.
This tool offers field-specific text searching as well as logical combinations of searches. This is intended for experienced users, but it is in fact self explanatory & simple to figure out.
International Character Sets and Searches
All search tools are fully compatible with international character sets. This is achieved by using MySQL as our database engine, which is compatible with most standards for international character sets, notably UTF-8. We are gradually filling in fields, where it applies, with Hebrew, Yiddish and other languages with titles and performer names in those languages. You may search directly for such entries by entering your search string using UTF-8 Keyboard mapping and the corresponding character set. To setup your computer in order to do this is beyond what we can help you with, see the computing help folks at your institution.
For example, a Quick Search using the key word "אני" in Hebrew will yield tracks such as "Ani Maamin" "Ani Purim" and "Mode Ani." Note that not all tracks have their original Hebrew or Yiddish (or other languages) titles entered in the database, this will improve over time... We're working on it.
Spellings: Some guidelines
- In all cases, the spelling of names and titles in roman characters is given just as it appears on the label or jacket.
- At the same time, for easier searching, we have been adding a further romanization of Hebrew and Yiddish titles in accordance with standard Israeli or Yiddish pronunciation and the friendliest conventions of romanization. This appears in square brackets.
- In some cases, we have also added alternative spellings of names.
Some useful details of our romanization
- The vowels 'a,e,i, o, u' are used as in the following Hebrew examples: 'yisrael, yeled, yehi ratzon, sukot'.
- The diphthongs 'ay, ey' are used thus: 'beney yisrael, od yosef chay'.
- The Hebrew letters 'chet' and 'chaf' have been romanized as 'ch'. For Yiddish, we have followed the YIVO convention and used 'kh'.
- The letter 'tzadi' is 'tz': 'yitzchak, tziyon'.
- The letters 'kaf' and 'kuf' are 'k'.
- Word-final 'heh' is not shown, thus 'shana'.
- We use single rather than double letters, thus 'chanuka, shabat, kadish'.
- Alef and ayin are not shown except to avoid misreadings, thus 'baal, pe'er'.
- After a prefixed 'ha, be, le' and other prepositions, the word has been given a capital for ease of recognition. Thus 'haBoker'. This is not search-sensitive.
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