Page 26 - Jewish News_November-2020

26A November 2020 JEWISH INTEREST

Toe stompin’ Jewgrass: Combining bluegrass Jewish-themed Crossword Puzzle

with Jewish identity Your monthly crossword puzzle

By Arlene Stolnitz
y latest “best group” comes Shlomo Carlebach and Debbie Fried- as cross-cultural symbols. Often sing- playing music in the American blue- is generously brought to you by
from a whole different genre. man were writing the popular folk ing in Hebrew as well as English, they grass canon with its own language and
MHave you ever heard of Jew- songs based on Jewish liturgy that we are the principal players in the group. instrumentation.”
grass? It’s the fusion of the music of sing in synagogue services today. Their instrumentation mainly consists I would suggest checking out
Appalachia with traditional Jewish While checking out Jewgrass’ of stringed instruments such as fiddle, YouTube to hear the music of Nefesh
prayers. Jewgrass refers to an umbrel- unique style, I came upon Nefesh banjo, mandolin and guitar. I found Mountain, which I think is a part of the
la term that en- Mountain, a folk group extraordinaire. their renditions of “Mi Chamocha,” Jewish-American experience.
compasses blues, Several other groups play music in this “L’dor Vador” and “Oseh Shalom” in- Note: Correction in last month’s
bluegrass, folk genre, but this one spoke to me. I have spirational. article: Coloratura Soprano Natalie
and country mu- always liked country and bluegrass In their own words, “There is a Dessay, who currently sings at the
sic with klezmer music, and listening to this group I was huge misperception about Jewish blue- Met, is not the vocalist in the original
and includes sa- surprised at the integration of two very grass, or “Jewgrass, that we have to Yiddish recording “Bei Mir Bist Du
cred Jewish texts. different musical genres. overcome. People automatically as- Shejn” by the Budapest Klezmer Band.
American Jews Husband-wife team Eric Lindberg sume it is a joke or silly music. We are Instead, she has recorded “Bist du bei
have always in- and Doni Zazloff, both New York- not doing a parody. This is real soulful, mir” by 17 century German composer
th
corporated spiri- ers, have created a wonderful sound honest, true, bluegrass mountain mu- G.H. Stolzel.
Arlene Stolnitz tual with popular of ruach or “spirit,” which turns out sic. It takes a minute for people to stop Arlene Stolnitz, founder of the Sara-
music because it brings people into the to be an authentic Jewish-American laughing when we tell them ‘Jewish sota Jewish Chorale, is a member of
shul. As early as the 1950s, European spiritual hybrid. In naming the group bluegrass.’ But once they hear us and the Jewish Congregation of Venice. A
Jewish musicians, who had immigrat- Nefesh Mountain, nefesh refers to understand this, they immediately un- retired educator from Rochester, New
ed to the U.S., were looking for ways the soul or spirit of all living things, derstand we are doing something very York, she has sung in choral groups
to incorporate “Americanism” into the while “mountain” refers to bluegrass different, and they feel our honesty. for over 25 years and also sings in
music performed in the synagogue. and old musical forms as well as ref- We want to make sure that we are truly The Venice Chorale. Her interest in
By the ’60s and ’70s, icons such as erences in Jewish texts to mountains honoring sacred Jewish texts and tradi- the preservation of Jewish music of all
tions as we explore new ways to share kinds has led to this series of articles
Buying or Selling? them with the world. We are intent, as on Jewish Folk Music in the Diaspora.

Call Realtor David Weiman well, on being honest and true with
®
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941.404.5898

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A TALK-BACK WITH HUSSEIN ABOUBAKR
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his childhood in Cairo, Egypt,
raised to villainize Jews, his rev- View the
elation in high school that these
beliefs were steeped in lies, being documentary
persecuted and jailed for studying and attend THINKING OF SELLING OR TRADING
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