Re: klezmers and fusioneers

[Matt Jaffey <mjaffey2...>]

Ari:
<<(klezmer) provided a bridge to Jewish culture that avoided Zionism and
religion.>>

Theodore Bikel:
<<for many Jews, the klezmer revival has provided a bridge to Jewish culture
that avoided having to learn a language.>>

Shira Lerner:
<<Interesting, because I have been told that Mordechai Schaechter, in
response to questions this past summer at the YIVO summer program, lists
interest in Yiddish and klezmer music as one of the reasons that there has
been an increase in the number of young people interested in learning Yiddish.>>

These don't contradict one another. Obviously, no one of them applies to
everyone who has been attracted to the klezmer revival. I would think
Shira's comment applies only to those who became more committed to the
culture through exposure and deepened interest; as opposed to the much
larger group who just like the music, maybe have a few cd's or have gone to
a few concerts.

And if the attraction is to play the music, as I discovered, one has to
learn a new language anyway - the language of the music itself.

Matt

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