By Judy Lash Balint
JERUSALEM — It’s always good to start off the week with a bang, not a fizzle. That’s why one of my favorite places to spend the hours after Shabbat and before work starts on Sunday is with the lively folks at Yung Yiddish–Jerusalem’s Yiddish cabaret.
Almost every Saturday night in the dim basement on Yirmiyahu street at the edge of Jerusalem’s ultra-orthodox neighborhoods, an eclectic assortment of people gather to take part in a performance by some of the best klezmer musicians in the world.
This past Saturday night it was the renowned Mussa Berlin and his daughter Odelya, accompanied by Avraham Burstein on vocals, and a violinist and a drummer who dropped in.
As always, a seat right in front of the klezmorim was reserved for the 90-year-old Avraham Sheffer–an encyclopedia of Yiddish melodies; and as always, hot Yerushalmi kugel was passed around to the audience.
Wedged in between the book shelves sagging with hundreds of frayed Yiddish books,the eclectic audience included a few elderly Yiddish speakers, a number of native English-speaking immigrants, several ultra-orthodox couples and a few rows of enthusiastic young guys from the neighborhood.
With the forthcoming vote on whether to bow to Obama’s demand for a further 90-day (read permanent) building freeze that now includes construction in Jerusalem, and a potential 3-day strike by farmers, it promises to be another hot week in J-town.
Good thing to start such a week with a sweet taste of klezmer and kugel…
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Posted By Judy Lash Balint to Jerusalem Diaries:In Tense Times at 11/20/2010 11:46:00 PM and reprinted with permission.