The Malavskys Family Sketch - The Comparison of the Horowitzs and the Malavskys
In the golden age of radio, a script titled "The Horowitz's" was penned, seemingly designed as a star vehicle for the Malavsky Family Choir. This intriguing, yet elusive, piece of work offers a glimpse into the lives of Jewish immigrants in the 1950s, a time when radio was a dominant medium before television took centre stage.
The script, which appears to have never been widely produced or published, presents an intimate family narrative, focusing on the relationship between an elder cantor and his young daughter, named Goldie, mirroring the real-life relationship between Cantor Samuel Malavsky and his eldest daughter and lead soloist, Goldie Malavsky.
The Horowitz's was likely written around 1950, a prolific period for radio dramas in the United States. The Malavsky Family Choir was beginning to perform and record prolifically during this time, and the script's focus on Jewish themes and heritage suggests a cultural or family project. The title "The Horowitz's" also hints at a Jewish family narrative, given that the surname Horowitz is commonly associated with Jewish heritage.
The script offers a unique perspective on the role of radio in reshaping domestic spaces and linking them with a vast, virtual public sphere. Through radio, the Malavsky family found an opportunity to defy conservative social conventions and present their unique family music style. The medium proved more important than the musical style in offering success to the family, as suggested by the script.
Radio played a significant role in the lives of Jewish immigrants, creating an "acoustic community" that reflected their lives and aspirations in their own language, Yiddish. Yiddish language radio was first heard in New York City in 1926 and reached a peak listenership of 1.75 million people in the years after World War Two.
The authority of the American government was enforced through a network of cultural expectations in the radio script, rather than explicit statements. Jewish themed radio dramas, such as The Goldbergs, conveyed messages about the potentials for success in America narrativized through the story of an immigrant family's economic and social mobility.
The script for The Horowitz's offers a poignant portrayal of the father and daughter's music offering them a second chance at remaining united, despite economic vicissitudes and generational difference. The father's childhood training as a cantorial choir singer is emphasized in the script, highlighting the role of labor in making music.
In 2020, the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive received a gift of a personal scrapbook kept by the Malavsky Family Choir, spanning the career of Cantor Samuel Malavsky (1894-1983) and his six children. This treasure trove of family history may hold further insights into the creation and significance of The Horowitz's.
For those researching this script for historical or genealogical purposes, contacting libraries with strong Judaica collections, or radio history archives, could be the next step. Further leads could include archives of radio scripts or Jewish cultural archives, family letters, personal collections, or oral histories from the Malavsky family, and research into 1950s radio programs with a target Jewish audience.
The search for The Horowitz's continues, offering a fascinating journey into the lives of Jewish immigrants and the role of radio in shaping their experiences in America.
The Malavsky Family Choir used radio as a platform to promote their unique music style, defying conservative social conventions and creating an "acoustic community" for Jewish immigrants in America. The script for "The Horowitz's," which focuses on the relationship between an elder cantor and his young daughter, reflects the family's cultural heritage and Jewish roots, suggesting a personal and cultural project.
By exploring archives of radio scripts, Jewish cultural archives, family letters, personal collections, or oral histories from the Malavsky family, and researching 1950s radio programs with a target Jewish audience, one could uncover further details about the creation and significance of "The Horowitz's."
