Emanu-El, 14450 W. 10 Mile Road,
Oak Park. $15 members/$18 non-
members; call (248) 967-4020. Tick-
ets will be available at the door.

Family Fun

The Wayne State University Dance
Company and Detroit area high school
dance groups present Journey, dance
performances for children featuring
themes of travel over land, sea and air,
11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21,
at the Community Arts Auditorium on
the WSU campus. $4 children, students
and seniors/$5 adults. (313) 577-4273.
Odd Bodkins, a full-stage, life-size
puppet production aimed at children
ages 4-10, comes to the Southfield
Centre for the Arts 1:30-2:15 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 21. 24350 Southfield
Road. $3.25. (248) 424-9022.
Detroit's PuppetArt Theater opens
Close The Window, a show based on
I.B. Singer's "The First Schlemiel," 2
p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at its theater, 25
E. Grand River, one block east of

Sephardic Songs

T

heir music is lyrical, and
their lyrics are romantic.
They're members of the
Gerard Edery Ensemble,
and they perform Sephardic concerts.
The group makes its Michigan
debut Nov. 21 at the Birmingham
Temple, where the program includes
adaptations of songs known by Span-
ish Jews of long ago, liturgical themes
from those same times and pieces pop-
ular during the Spanish Renaissance.
"I often juxtapose these styles
because they're from the same cultural
soil," says Edery, a baritone and gui-
tarist who melds classical, flamenco,
jazz and folk influences as he performs
with soprano and guitarist Nell Snaidas
and percussionist Rex Benincasa.
"One of my goals and challenges
has been to keep an awareness of tradi-
tional Sephardic songs in Ladino, the
language of Spanish Jews. I tap into
my roots and cultural heritage and
expand upon that by reflecting my
personal Sephardic experience."
The ensemble, formed four years
ago, often vocalizes first in Ladino,
comparable to Yiddish, and follows
with the English translation.
"I had been doing a lot of solo con-

Woodward. $5 children/$6.50 adults.
For additional dates, tickets, parking and
directions, call (313) 961-7777.
The sixth annual Native American
Festival and Mini Pow Wow, featur-
ing traditional Indian dancers, musi-
cians and singers, displays, craft tables
and food items from tribes across the
United States and Canada, visits the
Novi Expo Center 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sat-
urday, Nov. 21, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 22. $6. (248) 348-5600.
America's Thanksgiving Parade
rolls down Woodward Avenue 9 a.m.-
12 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 26, with pre-
parade shows and activities starting at
7:15 a.m. Grandstand seats available
for $15; (248) 645-6666.

The Art Scene

With works on loan from the Israel
Antiquities Authority, the Detroit Insti-
tute of Arts exhibits Ancient Glass from
the Holy Land, found during recent
excavations at a number of sites in
Israel. The material spans more than

country, 7:30 p.m. Tues-
2,000 years, from
day, Nov. 24, at the
about 1500 B.C.E.,
BBAC, 1516 S. Cran-
at the beginning of
brook Road, just north of
the manufacture of
14 Mile Road. $5. (248)
glass, to the Byzan-
644-0866.
tine period and into
the Islamic period in
the eighth century
C.E. The vast majori-
ty of objects are being
The Ya-Ya Sisterhood
shown for the first
meets psychoanalysis
time outside of Israel.
when social worker Valerie
The exhibit opens
Giberman discusses Rebec-
Saturday, Nov. 21,
ca Wells' Divine Secrets of
and runs through
the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and
Jan. 31, in the
the longing it has inspired
Knight Gallery.
for deep and lasting female
From the DIA exhibit "Ancient friendships, 2 p.m. Sunday,
Admission to the
Glass from the Holy Land":
DIA is $4 adults/$1
Nov. 22, at Borders, 34300
Cosmetic bottle with applied
children. 5200
Woodward, Birmingham.
thread (Roman, third- Furth
Woodward Ave.,
(248) 203-0005.
centuries C E.).
Detroit. (313) 833-
Mitch Albom signs copies
7900.
of his year-long New York
Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center's
Times best seller Tuesdays with Morrie at
Captive Audience Lecture Series presents
noon on Friday, Nov. 27, at Barnes &
Robert Wilbert, whose paintings of the
Noble, 6575 Telegraph Road, Bloom-
human figure and still lifes have been
field Hills. (248) 540-4209.
shown in one-man exhibitions across the

Whatnot

City, the Holocaust Museum in Wash-
certs of this kind of
ington, D.C., the Seiji Ozawa Hall at
music, and I started
Tanglewood
and the Cervantino Inter-
feelinc, I wanted to
national
Festival
in Mexico.
work with others," says
His
recordings
capture a range of
Edery, who speaks sev-
world
music,
and
his
most recent CDs
eral languages. 'A lot of
which showcases
Linda
Amiga,
include
the music is so rhyth-
love
songs
of
the
Sephardim
and
mic that I chose a per-
Renaissance Spain, and Chansons
cussionist. I wanted to
d'Amour, which captures live perfor-
work with a soprano
mances of French compositions.
because the love dia-
Snaidas, a graduate of the Mannes
logues lend themselves
College
of Music, has starred at inter-
to performances by a
national
festivals in Mexico and in the
man and a woman."
European
tour of Phantom of the
The ensemble show-
Benincasa,
a graduate of the
Opera.
The Gerard Edery Ensemble performs at the Birming-
cases the diversity of
Manhattan
School
of Music, has per-
ham Temple on Saturday.
cultures that reflect
formed
with
the
Pittsburgh
Symphony
Sephardim.
Orchestra,
Flamenco
Latino,
American
says Edery, who received a 1997
"After their expulsion from Spain in
Repertory
Ballet
and
a
national
tour of
Sephardic
Musical
Heritage
Award
1492, the Jews were dispersed," Edery
Evita.
from
The
Sephardic
House,
a
New
explains. "They adopted words from
"I enjoy music that gives people a
York organization promoting cultural
languages in the host countries, such
feeling
of where they came from,"
programs.
"Our
multifaceted
training
as Turkey and Greece, and always
Edery says. "It helps them reaffirm
makes [the traditions] come alive in
made Hebrew a strong part of it."
their Jewish identity." 7
1998."
Edery has done considerable research
Edery, born in Casablanca and
to prepare for his performances, and he
— Suzanne Chessler
raised in Paris and New York City,
has amassed an extensive library. Origi-
earned his master's degree at
nally, Sephardic songs were sung a cap-
the Manhattan School of
pela. Hand clapping served as the
The Gerard Eder), Ensemble performs 8
Music. He has sung more
accompaniment before Middle Eastern
p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Birmingham
than 30 roles with opera
instruments came into play.
Temple, 28611 W. 12 Mile, Farmington
companies around the Unit-
"Everything I've been doing and all
Hills. $18/$15 seniors/$12 students. (248)
ed States and appeared at the
the musical experiences are coming
788-9338 or (248) 288-3953.
Lincoln Center in New York
together in my own compositions,"

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Detroit Jewish News

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