America has been a unique place of refuge and safety for Jews from around the world for hundreds of years. In no other place in history have Jewish communities been able to thrive as they have in the US. Each of the composers whose music included in this album came to the US as refugees fleeing anti-Semitism. In America they found refuge. Their contributions to American music are manifold. For most of the pieces presented here, this is the world première recording. These songs represent a vital part of the story of American-Jewish music.