 What a year! Shevuous begins May 14. Rosheshuneh begins the evening of September 4 and Simkhes Toyreh is September 27. The first day ofKhanikeh is Thanksgiving Day! Don't miss the East Bay's terrific annualTikkun Leyl Shavuot (Tikn Leyl Shevuous) because you are expecting the holiday several weeks later according to the secular calendar!
 This year's East Bay community-wideTikkun/Tikn, which usually draws 500-600 people for events from before sundown until sun-up, includes even more Yiddish-inspired programming than usual. Whether you want to learn about Torah or off-color Yiddish words, sing prayers or sing children's songs, this Tikkun/Tikn is for you! KlezCalifornia is co-sponsoring this wonderful event, which is described below.
P.S. Don't miss Jeannette Lewicki at the Jewish Community Library on May 9!
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SAVE THE DATES:* Nigunim Weekend Retreat, August 23-25, Mendocino County. More info: mail[at]nigunim.org * KlezCalifornia Yiddish Culture Festival, October 26-27, Berkeley. More info: HERE |
| In This Issue | | Ruth Rubin's Reel-to-Reel Mashinke, Thursday, May 9 | | Workshops at Tikkun Leyl Shavuot, Tuesday, May 14 | | Community Events | | On the Web | | Farshidns (This 'n That) | | Coming in June | | Honor Wall | | Support KlezCalifornia |
Ruth Rubin's Reel-to-Reel Mashinke
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 Thursday, May 9, 7:00pm, Ruth Rubin's Reel-to-Reel Mashinke, a presentation by Jeanette Lewicki. Toting her state-of-the-art portable tapemashinke, Ruth Rubin recorded native Yiddish singers in libraries, old folks' homes, summer camps, kitchens, and Carnegie Hall. When she died in 2000, Rubin left hundreds of tapes with thousands of folk songs. Lewicki (pronounced "Levitsky") spent last July helping transfer these archives from tape to computer, listening to 866 Yiddish songs in one month! In this program, she will sing and translate her favorite songs from this collection. At the Jewish Community Library, San Francisco. Co-sponsored by KlezCalifornia. No charge. More info:415.567.3327, HERE.
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Workshops at Tikkun Leyl Shavuot
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 Tuesday, May 14, 6:15pm - Wednesday, May 15, 7:00am, Yiddish-inspired workshops at Tikkun Leyl Shavuot (Tikn Leyl Shevuous). At the JCC East Bay, Berkeley. Celebrate the giving of the Torah! Among the many workshops are the following, inspired by Yiddish culture:
- 9:10-10:10pm, Sing Your Way through the Jewish Year: Tunes and Nusakh, with Claire Sherman and Judy Kunofsky. Sing a song for every Jewish holiday, including the Seder's Four Questions, Di Fir Kashes, and Mu Asapru (Who Knows One?), both in Yiddish
- 10:20-11:20pm, The Sacrifice of Sarah: Sarah and the Akeydah(Binding of Isaac), presenting materials from Midrash, Tseneh-reneh(called the Yiddish Women's Bible), and modern Hebrew poetry, with Naomi Seidman and Jennifer Read
- 12:40-1:40am, 100 Yiddish Words the Average Puerto Rican New Yorker Knows (and You Should Be Ashamed If You Don't), with Harvey Varga
No charge. More info: HERE |
Community Events
| Mondays, 6:00-8:00pm, Klezmer Mondays at Saul's, featuring Dave Rosenfeld, Mike Perlmutter, and Dmitri Gaskin, occasional special guests. At Saul's Restaurant & Delicatessen, Berkeley. Entertainment free with minimum $10 purchase. More info: 510.848.3354, Facebook.com/SaulsDeli/events. Underscore Orkestra performs May 13; see below. Wednesday, May 1, 8:00pm, International Worker Day Celebration with Gerry Tenney and the Hard Times Orchestra, featuring Josh Kornbluth. Program includes Yiddish songs. At Freight & Salvage. Tickets: $16.50 advance / $18.50 door. More info: thefreight.org Thursdays, May 2, 9, 16, 1:00-3:00pm, Birobidzhan: Stalin's Socialist Paradise for Jews in Siberia, with Ken Blady. Presented by Emeritus College at JFK University Campus, Pleasant Hill. Registration: $40; $30 Emeritus College Members. More info: 925.685.1230 X2388Monday, May 13, Underscore Orkestra, klezmer group from Portland. At Saul's Restaurant & Delicatessen, Berkeley. Entertainment free with minimum $10 purchase. More info: 510.848.3354, Facebook.com/SaulsDeli/events Thursday, May 16, 7:00-10:00pm, Saul Goodman's Klezmer Band, with Mike Perlmutter, Dmitri Gaskin, Jack Hanly. At SF Bistro Grill, San Francisco. No cover charge. More info: 415.409.6410, bistrosfgrill.com Saturday, May 18, 7:00-11:00pm. Fiddler on the Roof Film Screening and Sing-Along. Presented by Stage Door Conservatory. At The Church at 1501 Walnut Street, Berkeley. Tickets: $18 adults, $9 children. Purchase at door or HERE . More info: 510.521.6250, stagedoorconservatory[at]yahoo.comSunday, May 19, 7:30pm, Red Hot Chachkas in Concert. At Studio E, an intimate professional sound studio in a beautiful rustic spot near Sebastopol, just a few miles from Highway 101. Tickets: $22 at the door. More info: 707.823.5316, klezmer[at]redhotchachkas.com, JeffM5[at]sonic.net, Facebook page Friday - Sunday, May 24 - 26, Dr. Eddy Portnoy at Netivot Shalom's biennial retreat. At Camp Newman, Sonoma County. Dr. Portnoy, professor of Yiddish language and culture at Rutgers University, received his Ph.D. from the Jewish Theological Seminary, writing his dissertation on cartoons of the Yiddish press. Netivot Shalom is egalitarian, and shomer Shabbes. Prices include lodging and kosher meals. $325 adult registration, $250 for Netivot Shalom members, less for teens, kids. More info: retreat[at]netivotshalom.orgThursday, May 30, 7:00pm, Hester Street Film Screening. Joan Micklin Silver's film adaptation of Abraham Cahan's 1896 novella, "Yekl," was a landmark in independent cinema, as well as in women's and Jewish filmmaking. At Jewish Community Library, San Francisco. No charge. More info: 415.567.3327, HERE |
On the Web
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All-Yiddish on-line newspaper, Der Yidisher Moment at YiddishMoment.com. They report 100,000 readers!
Yiddish website for children at yiddishfarkinder.com, created by Judith Nysenholc of the Kinneret Day School in Riverdale, New York (Thanks to Rose Schimel).
The virtual Museum of Jewish Family History (MuseumofFamilyHistory.com) was founded ten years ago by Steve Lasky in Southern California. The site covers genealogy, maps of Eastern Europe, shuls of New York City, cemetery project, and more. See their search for Yiddish translators, in Farshidns section, below.
UC Santa Cruz Library Research Guide (HERE) lists almost 5,000 Jewish writers, spanning more than 2,000 years and six continents, including many who wrote in Yiddish, with links to more information on each (Thanks to Rivka Greenberg).
Learn about Yiddish musical theater and opera works at the website of the Los Angeles Yiddish Opera Society (LAYiddishOpera.com) (Thanks to Rose Schimel).
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Farshidns (This 'n That)
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The Museum of Jewish Family History (see "On the Web" section, above) is seeking volunteers to help finish translating the seven volumes of Zalmen Zylbercweig's "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theater,"which contain more than 2,800 individual biographies as well as organizational histories. If interested, contact Steve Lasky via museumoffamilyhistory.com.
New film, "When Comedy Went to School," by Mevlut Akkaya, Ron Frank, and Lawrence Richards, attempts to answer the question, "Why are there so many Jewish comedians?" and shows that the Catskills were the "school for comedy." Trailer at vimeo.com/45324666. More info:whencomedywenttoschool.com.
Proverb of the month: What the sober mind conceals, the drunken tongue reveals (Vos bay a nikhtern oyfn lung, iz bay a shikern oyfn tsung.)
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Coming in June
| Put these exciting events on your calendar now and check the June newsletter for more details. You can always check out KlezCalifornia's long-term calendar at klezcalifornia.org/eventsMonday, June 3, Yiddishe Serenaders. At Saul's Restaurant & Delicatessen, Berkeley. Entertainment free with minimum $10 purchase. More info: 510.848.3354, Facebook.com/SaulsDeli/events. Thursday, June 6, 7:00pm, Di Gantse Velt Iz Mayn: The Sidor Belarsky Songbook, a song presentation by Anthony (Mordechai Tzvi) Russell. At the Jewish Community Library, San Francisco. More info: 415.567.3327 X703, HERE. Saturday, June 8, 2:00pm, Klezmer Dance Workshop with Yael Schy and Ellis Island. Part of San Francisco Free Folk Festival, June 8-9, 12:00noon - 10:00pm. No charge. More info: sffolkfest.org/2013 Sunday, June 9, 2:00-4:00pm, KlezCalifornia Flisik Salon. For fluent Yiddish speakers. At a private home in Oakland. Sing songs, read poems and stories and tell us about an interesting family member. No charge. More info: 415.789.7679, flisik[at]klezcalifornia.orgThursday, June 13, 7:00pm, Overweight Sensation: The Life and Comedy of Allan Sherman (film screening). At Jewish Community Library, San Francisco. No charge. More info: 415.567.3327, HERE. Saturday, June 15, 8:00pm, at St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church, San Francisco Sunday, June 16, 4:00pm, at Congregation Beth Jacob, Redwood City Sunday, June 23, 4:00pm, at Temple Sinai, Oakland Premiere of Lilith, the Night Demon (or Omens, Dreams and Curses). Veretski Pass with The San Francisco Choral Artists. A choral Mystery play based on the story of Lilith, including Jewish superstitions, omens, dreams and curses! General admission: $25 advance, $30 door; Senior (65+): $22 advance, $28 door; Student w/ID: $12 advance, $15 door. More info: 415.494.8149, sfca.org Sunday, June 16, 2:30pm, 87th Annual Concert of Jewish Folk Chorus of San Francisco. At Jewish Community High School of the Bay. Suggested donation: $15 General; $8 Students, seniors and people with disabilities ($12/6 advance). Tickets at door or Brown Paper Tickets. More info: 510.220.6325, jewishfolkchorussf.org [corrected info]Sunday, June 23, 6:00pm (music begins 6:30pm) Klezmer Night, performers TBD. At Tannourine Restaurant, San Mateo. $10 cover and order off regular menu. More info: 650.638.1960, tannourinecuisine.com. June 24 - August 2 "On Broadway" summer music theater camp presents Fiddler on the Roof for young actors entering grades 5-9. Performances August 1-3. Presented by StageDoor Conservatory. $325/week for 9:00am-3:30pm, additional to 6:00pm. Financial aid available. North Berkeley location. More info: 510.521.6250, stagedoorconservatory[at]yahoo.com, stagedoorconservatory.org.Thursday, June 27, 7:00pm, The Chosen (film screening). At Jewish Community Library, San Francisco. No charge. More info: 415.567.3327 X703, HERE. |
Honor Wall
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Honor Wall posting this month:
Joshua & Diane Wirtschafter: In memory of Arthur Schon, father of Diane Schon Wirtschafter, a soulful singer and saxophone player and lover of Yiddish.
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Support KlezCalifornia
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With a gift of any amount to KlezCalifornia, you become a Contributing Member and you may post a message of up to 100 words on our web Honor Wall for one year. This is a fine way to honor a loved one or teacher or write about your own Yiddish heritage.  We hope Contributing Members can give $54 (3 chai/khay) or more. In appreciation for contributions at this level, we offer you a choice of gifts: The 115-page exercise book, "The Oy Way." This warm book by Harvey Gotliffe helps you learn Yiddish expressions while engaging in meditative exercise. Check it out at theoyway.com. Or a DVD of the wonderful 80-minute film, "Yiddish Theater: A Love Story" ( newlovefilms.com). Or eight beautiful, brightly-colored, 5"x7" music-themed greeting cards designed by Sonoma County artist Nina Bonos (see the cards HERE). Your donations help KlezCalifornia keep Bay Area Yiddish culture and community vibrant and thriving. Make your tax-deductible donation via credit card HERE or with a check to KlezCalifornia at 1728 Allston Way, Berkeley 94703. A sheynem dank! Thank you very much! |
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