Re: ATTENTION - The German thing...

[Isabelle Ganz <IGanz...>]

From:   Isabelle Ganz   IGanz (at) compuserve(dot)com

RE:     Re: ATTENTION - The German thing...

More anecdotal thoughts about Jews, Germans and music.

I'm writing this from Jerusalem, where I'm on a 6-month Fulbright.  When
not here, I'm based in Amsterdam.  Last May I performed a concert of
Yiddish and Sephardic songs at an art museum in Bonn with pianist John
Ferguson, under the umbrella of the group "American Voices".  I had not
performed in Germany for many years, so the experience took me by surprise:
 there was about two minutes of applause for each song.  After about five
songs I began to feel that I really didn't have to sing - I could just
stand there and say "oy" and they would applaud just as enthusiastically.
They seemed to be applauding me just for existing - or maybe just for being
there, my presence implying that "it's O.K. - all is forgiven".  It was a
strange experience, but I'll be going back next season - to enjoy, of
course, all that audience warmth (the kind of warmth one doesn't usually
experience in personal relationships there), and also to learn more about
what gives.

But the even stranger experience took place a few weeks earlier when I
tried out the program for the Yiddish-speakers circle in Amsterdam.  This
is a group of people who get together regularly to read and discuss Yiddish
literature.  All of them teach Yiddish at such places as the University of
Amsterdam.  There were about 20 people in the room; of those 20, about 4
were Jewish.  The rest were Christians who have devoted their lives to
studying, reading, speaking and teaching Yiddish.  They all thought it was
perfectly normal.  THEIR motivations seem to me much more complex than
those of the Germans.  I plan to learn more.

Am eager to hear more of everyone's thoughts on this topic.  It's a MUCH
more interesting subject than which rock stars are Jewish.

Kol Tuv from Jerusalem,

Isabelle Ganz
106047(dot)3142 (at) compuserve(dot)com