Re: Women-Only Concert Puzzle

[Eliott Kahn <Elkahn...>]

As a follow-up to this message:

This concert was set up by my rabbi and his wife, who were friends of Ofri and 
spoke highly of her. As with our two other concerts, it was of excellent 
quality (so I heard, anyway) and poorly attended. I managed to finagle a nice 
head shot of Ofri into that Friday's JEWISH WEEK. I see this year she will be 
performing as part of the Center for Jewish History's new Jewish culture 
performing arts series. Could the publicity in the JEWISH WEEK have helped her 
career?

Although we still have a little music at our shul in Harlem, due to poor 
attendance and a variety of other factors, the Upper Upper West Side Jewish 
Music Series died a natural death. We still continue our ongoing struggle to 
make this spiritual and acoustic gem of a shul a viable house of worship, 
study, and assembly.

Incidentally, this new performing arts series at the new Center for Jewish 
History in downtown New York looks like a cultural gem. Perhaps someone might 
provide the list with more info on it.

Shalom Chaverim,

Eliott Kahn


At 01:37 PM 2/27/01 -0500, you wrote:

>On April 17, 2000, Eliott Kahn announced on this newgroup what sounded
>like a wonderful concert at the Old Broadway Temple, but that could be
>attended by women only.
>
>"On Monday, April 24th at 7:00 PM, a special Passover concert called WOMAN
>TO WOMAN will feature Ladino and Hebrew songs interpreted by the lovely
>voice of Ofri Eliaz........
>This concert will include other fun events and will be for women only."
>
>
>I inquired on this news group if that were really possible.  I expected an
>outcry -- not to my own message but to the idea of having a concert
>restricted to women attendees.
>
>The only response was a polite question, 
>
>"Why is this concert for women only?"
>
>from Dick Rosenthal to Eliott Kahn, who answered:
>
>"If the only way I can present female singers at an Orthodox shul is
>for women audiences only, so be it. This concert and any future concerts
>at Old Broadway Synagogue featuring female singers will be for women
>only." 
>
>
>Would someone be so kind, and tell me how that concert passed by this
>newgroup with hardly a ripple, whereas the Kol Isha topic generated such a
>storm?  The storm even posed the possibility of only-women-allowed and
>no-women-allowed venues.
>
>Why now, and not then??  Perhaps women accept the no-men rule but not the
>no-women rule, or ... , or ... , or what?
>
>Yoram Gelman
>
>

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