Maxwell Street Band to Close Yiddish Festival
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Washtenaw Jewish News Presort Standard In this issue… c/o Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor U.S. Postage PAID 2939 Birch Hollow Drive Ann Arbor, MI Ann Arbor, MI 48108 Permit No. 85 Rabbi Interview How the Ascherman, with election will director Defense affect the of RHR, Minister Jewish in Michigan Moshe Ya'alon Community Page 6 Page 13 Page 18 November 2014 Cheshvan/Kislev 5775 Volume XXXIX: Number 3 FREE Maxwell Street Band to close Yiddish Festival, November 1 Debra Gombert and Carol Lessure, special to the WJN he Maxwell Street Klezmer Band, mances in The Barbican (London), Carnegie established in 1983, is the Midwest’s Hall (New York City), and nine overseas tours T premiere Klezmer Band. They will to Germany, Austria, England, the Netherlands, bring the week-long Ann Arbor Yiddish Norway and, most recently, Lithuania. Festival to a close during the first weekend “We first heard this group on CDs that we in November. Audiences from throughout bought because of many recommendations Washtenaw County will have a chance to from connoisseurs of Klezmer music, and hear the unique blend of the Maxwell Street we were impressed and entertained. Then, Band on Saturday, November 1, at Eastern last fall, we had the fabulous experience of Michigan University and to learn from band seeing them in person, beginning with their members during a workshop on Sunday, parading into the hall while playing and their November 2. The band will share its take on amazing enthusiasm. They are superb musi- Klezmer with music that blends Eastern Eu- cians, unbelievable talents and remarkable ropean cadences and African American jazz. interpreters of a musical genre that we adore. Their songs intertwine everything from Rus- The community will delight in their appear- sian dances, Chassidic drinking songs, and ance,” shared Henry and Harlene Appelman. Hungarian gypsy sounds together with Dix- What is “Klezmer music”? A folk music ieland; Jazz and Swing; and blues. originating from the Jews of Eastern Europe, Performing throughout the United States Klezmer derived its name from a collusion and abroad, the Maxwell Street Band has re- of the Hebrew words “kley” (vessel) and “ze- The Maxwell Street Band Sextet corded six CDs, five in the United States and mer” (melody) and dates back to the Mid- recognized today by its upbeat dances and In the United States, Klezmer music be- one in Europe. They have appeared on movie dle Ages. Klezmer music was traditionally its expressive melodies in which the instru- came a melting-pot of the Jewish immigrant and television soundtracks in the U.S. and Italy. played by traveling musicians (klezmorim) ments themselves can sound like they are community. As they came to America’s shores, Some of their tour highlights include perfor- for weddings and other celebrations. It is laughing or weeping. continued on page 2 Boycott of Israel is topic for talk at EMU Annual Interfaith Martin B. Shichtman, special to the WJN Thanksgiving Celebration ary R. Nelson, Jubilee Professor spoken in support of the BDS movement WJN staff writer of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the at major academic institutions throughout The Interfaith Round Table of Washtenaw C University of Illinois, will speak on the world. County will hold its 20th Annual Interfaith “Bait and Switch: The Purpose of the Move- A number of American scholars have Thanksgiving Celebration on Sunday, No- ment to Boycott Israel.” The talk will take begun to raise objections both to the tactics vember 23, at 7 p.m., at the Baha’ii Local place at Eastern Michigan University Stu- and to the motivations of the BDS move- Spiritual Assem- dent Center Auditorium, on Wednesday, ment. Perhaps the most important of these bly, 5550 Morgan November 19, at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. scholars is Cary R. Nelson. In a Wall Street Road, Ypsilanti. Over the past year, the movement to Journal piece, Nelson expressed concern The program will weaken Israel through Boycott, Divestment, over “the boycott movement’s success at include readings, and Sanctions (BDS) has gained significant increasing intolerance on American cam- music, meditations momentum. In December 2013, the Ameri- puses.” He noted, “Junior faculty members and other unique can Studies Association voted to support a sympathetic to Israel fear for their jobs if presentations from boycott of Israeli academic institutions. In they make their views known. Established a wide variety of June 2014, by a narrow margin, the Presby- faculty who grasp the complexity of Middle faith traditions. Light refreshments will be terian Church agreed to support a boycott East politics hold their tongues for fear of provided. Participants are asked to bring a against several Israeli businesses. Resolu- harassment by those who are more inter- non-perishable food or turkey money to help tions are currently being considered by ested in offering lessons in contemporary those in need in the community. For more academic and cultural organizations inter- demonology than in sound history.” information, call Rev. George Lambrides nationally that would isolate and delegiti- A former president of the American As- at 424-1535. This event is co-sponsored by mize Israel. Activists like Omar Barghouti, sociation of University Professors (AAUP), Beth Israel Congregation, and other congre- who frequently compares Israeli policies continued on page 2 gations in the community. to those practiced by Nazi Germany, have Cary R. Nelson Page Avenue Books 2935 Birch Hollow Drive Yiddish Festival, continued from page 1 Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108 Real books voice: 734/971-1800 Jews brought with them e-mail: [email protected] bought and sold. www.washtenawjewishnews.org their musical styles that they quickly adapted to the instruments and mu- Editor and Publisher sic they found in their new Susan Kravitz Ayer We are adding to inventory home. The result became at this time. Drop us a line. a fusion of sounds that is Calendar Editor proudly continued by the Claire Sandler Maxwell Street Band and Advertising Manager other modern Klezmer Gordon White [email protected] musicians. “From its quaint be- Design and Layout ginnings in the Jewish Dennis Platte ghettos of Eastern Europe, Klezmer has driven West- Staff Writers Mary Bilyeu, Sandor Slomovits, Rochel Urist ern music. Listen to Ger- Alex Koffman West Side shwin, to Leonard Cohen, Contributing Writers Book Shop to Coltrane, to Gogol Bordello; Klezmer is tening to Maxwell Street’s recordings, and have Anya Abramzon, Shlomo Cesana, Zieva Dauber there. It was bluesy before blues, funky be- been enjoying the recordings for many years.” Konvisser, Yakov Diamond, Rabbi Robert Dobrusin, fore funk, and rocking before rock,” said And when he learned about the workshop he Rosemary Frenza Chudnof, Alina Dain Sharon, Martin Shichtman, director of Jewish Stud- said, “Oh Wow! We will get to play with them? Karen Freedland, Jim Galfund, Rabbi Aharon Used and rare books, ies and professor of English at Eastern Mich- Oh, oh, be still my beating heart!” Goldstein, Debra Gombert, Linda Leah Greene, Marcie Greenfield, Hank Greenspan, Yaffa bought and sold The concert with Detroit’s Kidz Klez as igan University. “No one does Klezmer better Klugerman, Diane Lehman Wilson, Carol Lessure, than Maxwell Street. This will be a party!” the opening act will be held Saturday, No- Rafael Medoff, SooJi Minn, Sarah Okin, Avital vember 1, at the EMU Student Center, main 113 West Liberty Maxwell Street Band features singers and Ostfield, Cindy Saper, Sarah Schneider Hong, a seven-piece klezmer band. Their concert ballroom. The doors open at 6:45 p.m. with Dmitriy Shapiro, Martin B. Shichtman, Clara Silver, 995-1891 will not only feature music but it will also the concert and dance party from 7:30 p.m.– Elliot Sorkin, David Shtulman e-mail: [email protected] have a little bit of theater and education. midnight. Tickets are $18/adult and $5/ student and can be purchased at www.jew- The Washtenaw Jewish News is published Maxwell Street Band takes education very monthly, with the exception of January and Monday 11:00-6:00 seriously and established a foundation to ishannarbor.org. Children may attend free July. It is registered as a Non-profit Michigan Tuesday - Saturday 11:00-10:00 fund their work in Chicago area schools to of charge. Corporation. Opinions expressed in this pub- Sunday 12:00-5:00 bring their musical traditions to the next The workshop will be held Sunday, No- lication do not necessarily reflect those of its Gift Certificates Available generation. vember 2, from 10–11:30 a.m., at the JCC. editors or staff Musicians seeking more education can To participate in this free workshop, register ©2014 by the Washtenaw Jewish News. attend a free master class with Maxwell online at www.aarecon.org. Registered par- All rights reserved. No portion of the Washtenaw Jewish News may be reproduced without Street’s clarinetist, violinist and pianist on ticipants will be provided with MP3 record- permission of the publisher. Sunday, November 2, from 10–11:30 a.m., ings of music and other materials in advance that will be incorporated into the workshop. Signed letters to the editor are welcome; they should at the Jewish Community of Greater Ann not exceed 400 words. Letters can be emailed to the Arbor. All musicians are welcome, but par- The concert and workshop are made editor at [email protected]. Name will be ticipants should be able to read music and possible in part by a grant secured by the withheld at the discretion of the editor. FORTY-NINE YEARS OF play their instrument at an intermediate or Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT advanced level. The musicians will receive (AARC) from the Jewish Community Im- Circulation: 5,000 pact Fund of the Jewish Federation of Great- Subscriptions: LONG-TERM CARE band arrangements and coaching to play in $18 bulk rate inside Washtenaw County the klezmer style.