He whistles and whistles and whistles and whistles and whistles, and doesn't want to stop. With the Rebbe's power the train will be trounced. Performance by Khave Rosenblatt, with commentary by Itzik Gottesman. Now at CTMD's Yiddish Song of the Week!
yiddishsong.wordpress.com/2018/01/19/mirtseshem-af-shabes-performed-by-khave-rosenblatt/
]]>Its always worth filming!! Inna Barmash-Zhurbin came across this dance set she filmed (I'm guessing Lev 'Ljova' was holding the camera?) from my 2008 "Bessarabian Hop" CD launch... amazing!!!
]]>www.facebook.com/groups/bostonmusic/permalink/10155956878339356/
#rehearsaltake of Fisherlid. We use the melody from The Klezmatics' setting of Aliza Greenblatt's words, combine it with a tune from the Amsterdam Klezmer Band and a whole lot of Ezekiel's Wheels Klezmer Band magic. Enjoy! (And follow/like the page to stay up to date on the new recording as we take it from rehearsals into the studio. Lots more to come!)
]]>The National Jewish Book Awards have been announced, and the winner in the category of "Contemporary Jewish Life and Practice" (Myra H. Kraft Memorial Award) is Jewish Music maven Joey Weisenberg, with translations by Joshua Schwartz, for The Torah of Music, from Hadar Press.
A complete list of winners is available from the Jewish Book Council website.
]]>Yortsayt shmortsayt. Abi gezint! My first GOLDEN CITY of 2018 is here and friends, the prognosis is good. At least for Yiddish.
As always, please click and read. Share if you liked it. Share twice if you hated it. ❤️
No Yortsayts, Please. We're Yiddish. Rokhl's Golden City: Why reports of the death of Yiddish theater are greatly exaggerated, by Rokhl Kafrissen
]]>On Sunday, February 4th, she follows up Fidl with Beregovski Suite: a project with Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Uli Geissendoerfer. Together they bring to life long-lost melodies from the early 20th-century fieldwork of Moshe Beregovski … and re-imagine them for the 21st century.
Sunday, Feb 4, 7pm (doors open at 6pm)
Joe's Pu, at the Public Theater
425 Lafayette St.
New York, NY
15th to 21th of April 2018
Château de Ligoure
87110 Le Vigen
FRANCE
Yiddish songs, klezmer, danse,kindershul
With
Batia Baum, yiddish teacher, translator. Marthe Desrosières, coordinator, flute, clarinet. Diana Matut, singer, director. Hugo Proy, clarinet, guitar. Andreas Schmitges, Dance, mandolin, guitar.
More info/registration: www.yiddishweb.com/Ligoure
]]>I promised to make a website where you can get more information about Loberans klezmer books and the CD. And where you can order. Here is the URL: www.loberan-klezmer.de.
]]>Seems like every year I read interpretations focused on the miracle, on the Judaean's faith in G-d, and the like. In these times, I find myself retelling a drash that I wrote many years ago. It feels even more apt today.
In December 1984 I found myself headed to Israel as part of a Jewish "Witness for Peace" tour, initiated by New Jewish Agenda (z"l). "Jewish" being no less expansive in those days than now, our trip included neopagan activisit/author Starhawk, and a host of others with greater/lesser connections to Jewish practice. We'd begin our mornings with a tree meditation from Star's "The Spiral Dance," followed by a round of "Hine ma tov."
The trip overlapped with Chanukah, and we had brought a chanukiyah and candles so that we could celebrate each night of the holiday (although I have no memory of either latkes or sufganiyot). Sharing the ritual with our hosts, most of whom had no idea what a "Jew" was, much less an inkling of the story behind the holiday, meant that I had to write a short drash (especially short--each sentence needed to be translated into Spanish to share with our hosts) about the holiday and what it meant.
The drash =was= short. I talked about how we celebrated events that occurred 2000 years ago when Judah Maccabbee--our Sandino--along with his father and brothers had led a successful revolt against the ruling tyrant. But, I continued, we don't celebrate the military victory. Relatively speaking, a military victory is easy. The hard part is creating a just, sustainable society, something that began with the miracle of oil that burned for 8 days (explain story of miracle), but then needed ongoing efforts and vigilance.
We didn't talk about how the Maccabbees ended up Hellenized, themselves, nor the ensuing period of war, fratricide, and ultimately, takeover by the Romans. We were hopeful at the time that the Sandinistas would succeed where the Maccabbees had failed. This year, I reflect that our own society, here in America where I was born, and where I have lived most of my life. We need to rededicate ourselves to fulfilling that promise first made by the Maccabbees.
As the days lengthen, and as we move again towards Spring, may the lights of Chanukah provide us with inspiration to re-engage with each other and find ways to create that just, caring society.
]]>A new video from Milken's oral history project features Shenker's insights about the styles, inspirations and significance of niggunim in his own life, and in the various Hassidic traditions of Eastern Europe.
]]>The Yiddish Song of the Week is presented by the Center for Traditional Music and Dance and Sholem Aleichem Cultural Center's An-sky Institute for Jewish Culture.
]]>yiddishsong.wordpress.com/2017/11/10/shule-oy-oy-oy-shule-performed-by-ester-szulman/
Edited by Itzik Gottesman, the Yiddish Song of the Week is presented by the Center for Traditional Music and Dance and the Sholem Aleichem Cultural Center's An-sky Institute for Jewish Culture.
]]>I did, however, see Alicia Svigals and Lauren Brody in their first Yidstock appearance, reprising material from Mikveh, their late-1990s/early 2000s supergroup, and surprising us with amazing new material—not just klezmer, but also new-to-us Yiddish poetry, often with sharp, germane, and obvious addressing of women's issues, reminding us why the Yiddish revival isn't just a linguistic tic, but for many, represents fighting for social justice.
The day ended with Andy Statman, also in his first Yidstock appearance. It has been a rough, tired day after breaking my rule about never staying for the last Yidstock show, but we were well-rewarded. The last few years, wherever I have seen Statman, he never fails to deliver klezmer, nign, bluegrass, and "Statman-music." Last night, though, he was just on fire, delivering almost two hours of nearly non-stop music, punctuated only by occasional intros to special nigunim. He was backed by his usual trio: Larry Eagle on drums, and Jim Whitney on bass. An old friend, Bob Weiner (sp?) joined on percussion for several numbers.
Kudos to the Yiddish Book Center for another excellent festival. 2018 has already been scheduled: July 12–15, 2018. Put it on your calendar now.
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