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Friday December 14, 2007

Deck the halls with klezmer at Yiddish Folk Fest

by stacey palevsky
staff writer

Forget the movies: This Christmas, spend your day the Yiddisher way.

So say a handful of synagogues in the East Bay, whose members have come together to organize a Yiddish Folk Fest on Dec. 25 in Berkeley.

Yiddish food, music and dancing will be featured at the folk fest, which will be held from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Congregation Netivot Shalom in Berkeley.

“Yiddish culture, if we don’t promote it, is going to die,” said Robin Braverman, who helped coordinate the event. “Where are Jews going to experience the language and culture if we don’t find ways to keep it alive?”

Braverman is thrilled that so many people have come together to co-sponsor the event: Netivot Shalom, Congregation Beth El, Kehilla Community Synagogue, Chochmat HaLev, the Aquarian Minyan and the JCC of the East Bay.

The event promises to be family friendly. Admission includes food and entertainment, all linked to Yiddish language and culture. All the dishes will be labeled in Yiddish and English, instructors will teach children and adults traditional Yiddish dances and the KlezCalifornia All-Star Band will play live music throughout the afternoon.

The All-Star Band is a five-piece ensemble made up of musicians from several well-known local bands, including the Red Hot Chachkas and California Klezmer.

“The important thing about this event is that it’s on Christmas Day, when a lot of Jews feel uncomfortable and don’t know what to do,” said Gerry Tenney, mandolin player for California Klemzer. “What better way to spend the day than through music and eating?”

Tenney grew up in the Bronx with parents and grandparents who spoke Yiddish. He likes the idea of introducing Yiddish culture to people who haven’t had the exposure he did.

“Yiddish has always been my emotional, social and political tie to my Jewishness,” he said.

The festival will “have the feel of a freilach or simcha,” Braverman said.

“It will be a joyful Jewish occasion with plenty of dancing and singing.”

The Yiddish Folk Fest will take place 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 25 at Congregation Netivot Shalom, 1316 University Ave., Berkeley. Advance tickets cost $20 for adults, $10 for kids, with special rates for large families. To reserve tickets, call Robin Braverman (925) 979-1998 or email her at rivkah48@sbcglobal.net. Tickets at the door will cost $25 for adults, $12 for kids.

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