Tuesday, December 14, 2004
It's 2:30 a.m. and we're getting ready to wait for our taxi that will take us to the airport. Our last week has been a mixture of things. Isaac's last day of gan (preschool) was Friday. We brought in a thank-you cake and a card for the teachers and the other yeledim (children). After that we drove over to the part of town where Robin's brother and sister live to visit for a while before the beginning of Shabbat. I thought it might be a treat to play some Chanukah songs for them so I brought along my saxophone.
On Saturday I played for about a half hour at the nursing home where my father-in-law is staying temporarily. The residents seemed to enjoy the mixture of classical music, Chanukah songs, and a few Yiddush songs. My father-in-law was certainly glad that I was able to play for his friends there. After lunch I walked over to a section of the city called The German Colony to meet with Betty Klein, the folk singer we had met the week before. It was a very pleasant walk past all sorts of buildings old and new. The stores were all closed for Shabbat, but it was interesting just to window shop. Betty was a wealth of knowledge about Jewish, Yiddish, Israeli, and Ladino folk music. She gave me two more cassettes and told me about all sorts of pieces, composers, and performers. I wish I had met her at the beginning of our trip so I could have learned about some performances. Oh well, maybe next time.
Sunday was a day for more visiting and letting Isaac have some fun at one of the malls. There was an area for children to bounce around on those air-filled things (a.k.a., bouncy houses) that have become a staple at birthday parties in the States. I also did a little shopping at the local Home Center and walked around the mall a bit.
Monday was our last day in Jerusalem and my mother-in-law had some visitors over for lunch. So, while they visited, Robin and I packed up our things and tried to get my in-laws' apartment back to its pre-Sylvern setting. Betty Klein stopped over to give me some music she had photocopied of some of the pieces we had discussed before. After that we made one more trip to Ramot Alon to say goodbye to my wife's sister and brother and their families and then headed back to finish packing and to try to get some rest before our taxi arrived.
It's hard to believe that six weeks has come and gone. It has certainly been an educational and very enjoyable trip for me. I was able to accomplish everything I set out to accomplish and I am grateful for that. I hope the pieces that are created as a result of this trip will be source of pride for myself and my family.
Goodbye from Israel.
On Saturday I played for about a half hour at the nursing home where my father-in-law is staying temporarily. The residents seemed to enjoy the mixture of classical music, Chanukah songs, and a few Yiddush songs. My father-in-law was certainly glad that I was able to play for his friends there. After lunch I walked over to a section of the city called The German Colony to meet with Betty Klein, the folk singer we had met the week before. It was a very pleasant walk past all sorts of buildings old and new. The stores were all closed for Shabbat, but it was interesting just to window shop. Betty was a wealth of knowledge about Jewish, Yiddish, Israeli, and Ladino folk music. She gave me two more cassettes and told me about all sorts of pieces, composers, and performers. I wish I had met her at the beginning of our trip so I could have learned about some performances. Oh well, maybe next time.
Sunday was a day for more visiting and letting Isaac have some fun at one of the malls. There was an area for children to bounce around on those air-filled things (a.k.a., bouncy houses) that have become a staple at birthday parties in the States. I also did a little shopping at the local Home Center and walked around the mall a bit.
Monday was our last day in Jerusalem and my mother-in-law had some visitors over for lunch. So, while they visited, Robin and I packed up our things and tried to get my in-laws' apartment back to its pre-Sylvern setting. Betty Klein stopped over to give me some music she had photocopied of some of the pieces we had discussed before. After that we made one more trip to Ramot Alon to say goodbye to my wife's sister and brother and their families and then headed back to finish packing and to try to get some rest before our taxi arrived.
It's hard to believe that six weeks has come and gone. It has certainly been an educational and very enjoyable trip for me. I was able to accomplish everything I set out to accomplish and I am grateful for that. I hope the pieces that are created as a result of this trip will be source of pride for myself and my family.
Goodbye from Israel.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
It's the first night of Hanukkah and Robin, Isaac and I went to visit Robin's Dad and participate in the lighting of the candles. I hope I don't offend anyone because it's certainly not my intent, but it's very nice to be in a place that Hanukkah and its traditions don't have to be explained. Everyone here knows what the holiday is about and how it's typically celebrated. Again...no offense intended, just an observation.
With my Chagall Windows project done, I've concentrated my efforts on seeking out folk music from the Israeli, Ladino, Yiddush, and European (Ashkenazy) traditions. I will be meeting with a music therapist/singer on Thursday at another campus of Hebrew University (Givat Ram) to look at their holdings. I also hope to make it to a concert there Wednesday night to see the Academy Orchestra.
I was looking at the musical events in the the week's Jerusalem Post and saw that there was a concert of Hanukkah folk songs yesterday afternoon so Robin, Isaac, and I went to listen. It turned out to be a very informal concert at a women's club, but one of the singers is a fairly well-known Israeli folk singer, Betty Klein. I talked with her after the concert and she gave me a cassette and CD of her singing well known Israeli and Ladino folk songs. She also agreed to meet with me and to help me with my reserch. She will be coming to the States in the spring and I offered to help her secure a concert in Keene. We will see how that pans out.
Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah so time to clean off the menorah, put the sufganiot (doughnuts) in the oven, and spin the dreidel.
I was looking at the musical events in the the week's Jerusalem Post and saw that there was a concert of Hanukkah folk songs yesterday afternoon so Robin, Isaac, and I went to listen. It turned out to be a very informal concert at a women's club, but one of the singers is a fairly well-known Israeli folk singer, Betty Klein. I talked with her after the concert and she gave me a cassette and CD of her singing well known Israeli and Ladino folk songs. She also agreed to meet with me and to help me with my reserch. She will be coming to the States in the spring and I offered to help her secure a concert in Keene. We will see how that pans out.
Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah so time to clean off the menorah, put the sufganiot (doughnuts) in the oven, and spin the dreidel.
Saturday, December 04, 2004
Forgot to mention in my last post that when I drove to and from Hebrew University the road took me past the Old City. I mean I was right next to it. I suppose, that for people who live here all the time it's not a big thing, sort of like living in New York City and not giving a second thought to the Statue of Liberty. But for me, who doesn't come here that often, it was very exciting to drive right next to something that's over 3,000 years old and that has such historical significance.
Today we took Isaac to Liberty Bell Park. Named for a bell in the park that resembles the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. It's a nice place for families to go and has plenty of space for children to run around and play. Tonight, after Shabbat ends, the business week starts and I will continue my search for more Israeli and Ladino music.
Today we took Isaac to Liberty Bell Park. Named for a bell in the park that resembles the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. It's a nice place for families to go and has plenty of space for children to run around and play. Tonight, after Shabbat ends, the business week starts and I will continue my search for more Israeli and Ladino music.
Friday, December 03, 2004
Our next excursion was this past Monday. We took Isaac to the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo. It's a fairly large zoo with some interesting animals, reptiles, and birds. As you might expect, most of the residents are from Asia or Africa. We all had a great time and it was a nice way to spend the morning.
On Tuesday we dropped Isaac off at gan (preschool) and took a trip up to one of the older neighborhoods just north of the city center, Geula, to do some gift shopping. It's a religious neighborhood with extremely narrow streets but the prices there are much less that in the "touristy" parts of downtown. Later that day Robin and I dropped Isaac off at my sister-in-laws to play with his cousins and then drove over to the Chagall Synagogue so that I could record myself playing there. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to play in the synagogue and I feel that the recording came out very good. On our way back to pick up Isaac we stopped to enjoy the spectacular view of the village of Ein Kerem in the valley below the hospital. That portion of my research definitely ended on a high note (pardon the pun).
On Wednesday evening I visited my father-in-law while he's staying at a local nursing home and met with a guitarist/singer who was there doing some music therapy. As it turns out she has done quite a bit of work with Israeli and Ladino folk music and agreed to help me out as much as she can. I will contact her today or tomorrow in hopes that we can meet once or twice before we have to head back to the States.
Yesterday was quite eventful (in my opinion anyway). I set up a meeting with one of Isaac's teachers, who is also a musicology student at Hebrew University, to look for some folk music at the university library. In the morning my mother-in-law took me on a dry run to the university and it's a good thing we did. Parking there is by permit only so we had a chance to stop by Security and get a parking permit. That evening I drove, solo, to the Hebrew University campus at Mt. Scopus and met with Ishei in the music section of the library. He was able to find some CDs and an LP with some Israeli folk music for me to listen to. Now all I need to find is some Ladino music and I'll be all set.
This evening is Shabbat again so today was a day of visiting family. We have one more full week in Jerusalem and then it's back home.
On Tuesday we dropped Isaac off at gan (preschool) and took a trip up to one of the older neighborhoods just north of the city center, Geula, to do some gift shopping. It's a religious neighborhood with extremely narrow streets but the prices there are much less that in the "touristy" parts of downtown. Later that day Robin and I dropped Isaac off at my sister-in-laws to play with his cousins and then drove over to the Chagall Synagogue so that I could record myself playing there. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to play in the synagogue and I feel that the recording came out very good. On our way back to pick up Isaac we stopped to enjoy the spectacular view of the village of Ein Kerem in the valley below the hospital. That portion of my research definitely ended on a high note (pardon the pun).
On Wednesday evening I visited my father-in-law while he's staying at a local nursing home and met with a guitarist/singer who was there doing some music therapy. As it turns out she has done quite a bit of work with Israeli and Ladino folk music and agreed to help me out as much as she can. I will contact her today or tomorrow in hopes that we can meet once or twice before we have to head back to the States.
Yesterday was quite eventful (in my opinion anyway). I set up a meeting with one of Isaac's teachers, who is also a musicology student at Hebrew University, to look for some folk music at the university library. In the morning my mother-in-law took me on a dry run to the university and it's a good thing we did. Parking there is by permit only so we had a chance to stop by Security and get a parking permit. That evening I drove, solo, to the Hebrew University campus at Mt. Scopus and met with Ishei in the music section of the library. He was able to find some CDs and an LP with some Israeli folk music for me to listen to. Now all I need to find is some Ladino music and I'll be all set.
This evening is Shabbat again so today was a day of visiting family. We have one more full week in Jerusalem and then it's back home.
Quite a bit has happened since my last post. On Saturdays pretty much everything here shuts down for Shabbat (sabbath) so Robin, Isaac and I thought it would be nice to walk around the city. The Ministry of Tourism sponsors a walking tour of different neighborhoods every Saturday morning so we thought it would be something nice to do. Unfortunately we were a little late and the tour had already left. So, we decided to do our own walking tour of the neighboorhood. It's call Yamin Moshe and was the first neighborhood to be established outside the Old City walls in the mid 1800's. There's a big windmill there and lots of tiny streets with very interesting houses. I also found the Jerusalem Music Center but it was closed for Shabbat.
More to come... In the meantime, here are two photos from our walk. Robin and Isaac at the Montefiore Windmill and Isaac and I in Yamin Moshe with the Old City in the background.
More to come... In the meantime, here are two photos from our walk. Robin and Isaac at the Montefiore Windmill and Isaac and I in Yamin Moshe with the Old City in the background.
