A Jewish Grandmother: Original, unedited daily musings, and host to the monthly Kosher Cooking Carnival. **Copyright(C)BatyaMedad ** For permission to use these in publications of any sort, please contact me directly. Private accredited distribution encouraged. Thank you.
Every year some new Chanukah Videos are released, some better and some... less so. Here in Israel the weather is stormy. Gd obviously decided to give us WINTER as a Chanukah present.
This is not the time to travel, even though I had some really important plans for today. Instead we'll sing.
Since I'm not hosting the Passover Seder this year, I didn't have to rush to switch my kitchen to Pesach mode early. We can do it this afternoon, after lunch. But there's still a lot to do. Here are a few of this year's new videos for you to enjoy.
Is this just fantasy? No, it's our Chanukah tribute to one of the greatest and most epic songs of all time. Ready, Freddie? Kindle the lights, remember the Maccabees, and rock on. CHAG SAMEACH!
Booking and more information about Six13:
http://www.six13.com
Tonight's the night! Yes, even though I'm not one of the performers, B"H, I'll be attending the grand opening of Hidden - The Secret Jews of Spain, and I'm so excited. This is an original show by Sharon Katz and company. Produced by Women’s Performance Community of Jerusalem and the OU Israel Center. By women for women.
All the tickets have been sold for opening night, but there are still some left for the other performances. For ticket information click here. If you're at opening night, please look for me, and say "hello."
Yesterday I was wandering around Jerusalem's Old City with visiting family. We found ourselves wandering around Mount Zion and suddenly heard music. It wasn't the great sound of the old iconic irreplaceable Diaspora Yeshiva Band, but it was nice.
I had last visited the yeshiva with Ruby Harris, their violinist, and we visited Rabbi Mordechai Goldstein, ZaTz"L. Yesterday I didn't find anyone I knew, but I was glad to hear music. King David's Jerusalem should be filled with song.
After a "long year" of shnat evel, mourning, I'm really enjoying musical performances, which had been forbidden. Again I found myself in the Israel Museum. This time there were free klezmer performances in various exhibition areas yesterday afternoon.
They were a "warmup" of sorts for a couple of more serious performances later in the day, for which you had to buy tickets. But my friend and I really had a nice time following this excellent trio around the museum.
We listened to the music and entertaining talk. There was participation, which was clearly enjoyed by adults as well as children.
I put some of the klezmer we heard on youtube for you to enjoy. What do you think?
To keep me sane while cleaning I watched some of my favorite musicals on the DVD Guys and Dolls, Dream Girls and Phantom of the Opera. I think I had also watched--sang along with another one but can't remember the name. If I remember I'll edit it in.
Especially considering the obscene and inane lyrics many singers make popular, I really enjoy the fact that Jewish Prayers, yes, in Hebrew can also make it big.
One of the lessons of Purim is that "mikreh," "just by chance," or coincidence is all in control of G-d. The miracle of Purim is "being in the right place at the right time."
Mordechai just, by chance, happened to hear the plotters against King Achashverosh, and just, by chance, that was the page in the chronicles read to King Achashverosh, when he couldn't sleep. And just, by chance, Haman came in, and just, by chance, there were ready-made gallows...
And just, by chance, there was an Esther, beautiful and wise and dedicated to her people, willing to risk it all, body and soul...
Oh, yes, body and soul, Kodesh and Chol, the Holy and the "profane," or just plain ordinary...
One of the things that distinguishes Judaism from any other is the integration of the two. It's like our calendar, which integrates the solar and the lunar, making it the most accurate calendar of all. And to think that it was developed in a world that not only predates computers, also simple adding machines and calculators. Our ancient sages somehow managed to calculate it all very accurately.
Now how did I get to this? Yes, I remember.
I was sent two requests to publicize sites/blogs on my blog, Home Game and YK's Jewish Music Forum. The requests arrived within hours of each other, which gave me the message that I had to combine them.
Home Game is more than sports,
"Home Game" documents the story of graduating 12th graders, from the Israeli village of Netzer Hazani, during their last vacation before adulthood.
Their yearly summers of beach, ball and fun usually focused on the annual youth final four basketball competition. Yet their 2005 summer vacation turned into something else entirely because the Israeli government began to implement its plan to remove them from their homes in Gush Katif, Gaza, as part of the Middle East peace process.
And the Music Forum is more than just some music reviews.
Every year some new Chanukah Videos are released, some better and some... less so. Here in Israel the weather is stormy. Gd obviously decided to give us WINTER as a Chanukah present.
Yesterday I was wandering around Jerusalem's Old City with visiting family. We found ourselves wandering around Mount Zion and suddenly heard music. It wasn't the great sound of the old iconic irreplaceable Diaspora Yeshiva Band, but it was nice.
After a "long year" of shnat evel, mourning, I'm really enjoying musical performances, which had been forbidden. Again I found myself in the Israel Museum. This time there were free klezmer performances in various exhibition areas yesterday afternoon.
We listened to the music and entertaining talk. There was participation, which was clearly enjoyed by adults as well as children.
