CULTURE REBORN from page 73

The Kabbalistic Psychoanalysis
of Adam R. Tzaddik showcases

the dramatic work of
Ontario's Moriah Productions.
San Franciscan Sara Felder's
Shtick! has its Canadian pre-
miere, and New Jersey's Deb
Margolin performs her lyrical
one-woman show, 0 Wholly

Night.

Care for movies?
"Reel Ashkenaz" shows cine-
ma from the 1920s, including
The Purimspieler and The Golan,
as well as Sabbath in Paradise
and Animated Tales for Kids.
More literary?
Authors, including
renowned Yiddishist Yehuda
Berg and rising novelist Lillian
Nattel, read from their works
at "Reading the Diaspora" and
"Re-Imagining the Shred,"
while Jewish Canadian writers
participate in a cabaret pro-
gram, Finf-Un-Tsen (5 10)

Literary Cabaret.

Special events include the
Ashkenaz Parade, an outdoor
Havdalah service, Late Night
Cabaret, AshkenArtz!
Marketplace showcasing
The Askenaz Parade takes to the streets on Sept. 5.
Judaica, and the Fressers'
Paradise Food Tent.
And while all this takes
"It's important that nobody feels excluded,"
place in Canada — it's the third such event in six
Buchbinder says. "The Jewish culture as expressed
years — there's a definite Detroit influence. People
through the festival is a reason for thousands of peo-
coordinating the event either come from Michigan
ple to experience joy."
or spend a lot of time with relatives from Michigan.
One of those people experiencing the joy of the
Bruce Rosensweet, executive director, grew up in
festival is Andrew Katz, Buchbinder 's cousin from
Huntington Woods and had his bar mitzvah at
Bloomfield Township. Katz, an acting student in
Temple Emanu-El. David Buchbinder, artistic direc-
New York, will be working on the parade.
tor, often visits with family members in Bloomfield
"I don't care what I do," says Katz, who attended
Township and entertained at a synagogue fund-raiser
Lahser High School and whose family belongs to Shir
held at the Royal Oak Music Theatre.
Tikvah. "I just want to be part of it. I was at the last
Rosensweet and Buchbinder became friends through
festival, but I didn't work there. It's an awesome feel-
the Toronto and Winnipeg-based Flying Bulgar
ing to be with so many other Jews and see the various
Klezmer Band, which Rosensweet manages and
artistic expressions from Jews around the world."
Buchbinder leads. As the group toured, the two noticed
Temi Firsten, who has spent a lot of time in
a revival of Jewish entertainment and came up with an
Michigan visiting her father's side of the family, is
idea for a ldezmer festival and then the "Ashkenaz."
co-organizer of AshkenArtz!, where there will be a
"This is not a business venture," says Rosensweet.
mix. of traditional and contemporary Judaica.
"We raise money publicly and privately."
"We're in a tented area, and we'll have books and
Rosensweet graduated from the University of
recordings as well as the artworks," Firsten says.
Michigan in 1968, moved to Canada to escape mili-
"There will be ritual pottery and silver done by
tary service, hosted a jazz radio show and then man-
Jewish women who see their roles in a transformed
aged performers.
way. New this year will be pins commemorating
"The programming is a meeting of what I had
Women from the Bible. I also will be showing metal
seen at the Harbourfront Centre and my experience
and glass decorative dreidels."
with Jewish artists," explains Buchbinder, whose
Canadian artist Sybil Goldstein is coordinating
band plays original Yiddish music and has just
"Vibrant Visual Arts" for the second time. Twenty-
released its fourth CD, Tsirkus. "This is not a festival
five artists from Toronto, Montreal and the United
of nostalgia, and we have such a variety that I'm
States show socially engaging works dealing with
convinced nobody could ever be bored."
issues of cultural identity. Spanning many media —
Although the festival celebrates the traditions that
painting, photography, sculpture, textiles and instal-
traveled from Eastern Europe and evolved, there also
lation — the works range from a piece on biblical
will be Sephardic elements.
texts topersonal statements on the Holocaust.

8/13
1999

78 Detroit Jewish News

"Last year, we had more of an open call, so I
thought we'd do themes this year," says Goldstein,
who invited artists to display more than one work.
"One piece just doesn't give artists a chance to make
a statement.
The segment titled "Jewish Sites of North Africa"
features photos of historic places in Morocco, Egypt
and Tunisia. Another theme, "The Word," showcases
artists who work with text. "Papirshnit" offers origi-
nal papercuts on Yiddish themes.
As through all the programs in "Ashkenaz '99,"
the contemporary is clearly represented in the world
premiere of Lerner & Wall, who set new Yiddish
poetry to jazz.
"I love the sound of the Yiddish language," says
Dave Wall, who sings to the piano stylings of Marilyn
Lerner in addition to his lead singer duties with the
Flying Bulgars. "In the Ashkenzi culture, there's a
wealth of imagery that isn't in English poetry.
"I love the forward thinking of Ashkenaz,"'
adds Wall, who also has sung with Barenaked
Ladies. "It looks at Yiddish as a vibrant, evolving
culture. I love how enormous the festival is and
how interdisciplinary." Fl

"Ashkenaz: A Festival of New Yiddish Culture"
runs Aug. 30-Sept. 6 at Harbourfront Centre
in Toronto. For complete programming infor-
mation, call (416) 973-3000 or go to the Web
at www. ashkenaz.org .

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