What was, what's to come

Lots of interesting stuff happening this holiday weekend. I forgot to blog about a play about the Rosenbergs, sub-consciously, I think, because I knew I wouldn't be able to attend.

The Very Sad Story of Ethel & Julius, Lovers and Spyes, and about Their Untymelie End while Sitting in a Small Room at the Correctional Facility in Ossining New York a marionette play, was performed yesterday at Theater for the New City by a troupe from the Czech Republic. I'm pretty bummed I missed it. Was anyone else there?

Tomorrow night (Sunday) is a rare performance by what is acknowledged by connoisseurs to be the missing link in the lineage of 80s power pop. Chuck Klosterman hates them (he thinks they're too ironic) and Axl Rose wants to sound like them. If you know what's good (and what's so bad it's good) you'll check out YIDDISH PRINCESS at Pete's Candy Store on Sunday, November 30 at 9:30.

According to my friend on the inside:

Yiddish Princess is...Cyndi Lauper meets Aaron Lebedeff in 1983. Boy George shares a L'khayim with Sholem Sekunda in 1981. Molly Picon and Phil Collins have a wild affair in Kishenev around 1984 or 1985. Yiddish Chestnuts through a faux 80's filter.

Looking to reconcile your love of 80s power rock with your love of traditional Yiddish music? Your search is over. Behold, Yiddish Princess in all its Yiddish belting, guitar wailing, synthed out glory.

Yiddish Princess is: Sarah Mina Gordon, vocals; Michael Winograd, synths; Avi Fox-Rosen, guitar; Jon Singer, drums.

Pete's Candy Store
709 Lorimer St, near Metropolitan
Williamsburg

Is there TIVO for radio? Sunday night the BBC premiers its new 'in-depth' documentary about Yiddish. Yiddish: A Struggle For Survival* features many New York Yids you know, including Zalmen Mlotek (featured on the promo page) and maybe perhaps your favorite angry Jewess, ME! Yes, if you'll recall, in June my svive was interviewed by the producers. We'll see how much of our angry rants made the cut.

The BBC feature program on Yiddish will only be up for a couple of days (until December 7), so you should check it out now. There's been discussion about the program over at Jewschool and at Boing Boing.

And finally. I am very honored to have been asked to give an oyneg shabes/secular drash/Synaplex lecture at the wonderfully historic Brotherhood Synagogue in Gramercy. It's on December 6 and you don't have to be a member of the Synagogue to attend. I'll be speaking about the paradox of Yiddish Communism- how internationalism inspired millions in the creation of a new Jewish nationalism. (Also featured, how much I hate Ab. Cahan).






*Can you spot the memes of the Yiddish Atlantis? New York, the other Jewish capital, has more Yiddish speakers than Hebrew speakers. Does anyone produce a program called "Hebrew: The Struggle for Survival"? No.