1

To Life!

AROUND TOWN

Above: Brian and Audry Seifman

and their children, Abby, 5, and

Dove, 7, of West Bloomfield

Below: Ben and Bruria Barishi

of Tel Aviv

Meny and Dona Levinson of

Wait staffer Cari Herskovitz, 27, of Ferndale

Farmington Hills

Yossi's hosts sing along to inspire the spirit of Israel locally.

aughter, chatter and song
filled Yossi's Israeli Cuisine
at a Saturday night sing
along where diners joined in
familiar tunes like "Yerushalayim
Shel Zahav"
and "Hinay Ma
Tov" while fill-
ing up on
chicken shwar-
ma, hummus
and falafel.
The Israeli
musicians,
Ronit Pinto
Columnist accordionist
Aliya Paz of
•
Farmington Hills and guitarist
Shiomi Hamer of West
Bloomfield, volunteered to play
to the mixed crowd of American-
and Israeli-born participants.
Yossi's Israeli Sing Along is held
the second Saturday night of
each month.
"With music and singing
events like these, more Israelis
will come," said Israeli Debbie
Lev of West Bloomfield, sitting
with husband, Dan.
Owner Yossi Benyamin and
his wife, Lisette, of Farmington
Hills, teamed up with Tamir
Oppenheim of West Bloomfield,
who found the musicians and

L

Aliya Paz and Shiomi Hamer of West Bloomfield

Lisette and Yossi Benyamin of Farmington Hills

IN . October 27 . 2005

41

helped organize the Oct. 15 event
at the West Bloomfield restau-
rant. Guests were handed sheets
with words to the songs in
Hebrew.
"People are looking for an
Israeli atmosphere said
Oppenheim.
Visiting from Israel was Ruth
Kleinstein, mother of famous
Israeli musician Rami
Kleinstein. She enjoyed the
evening with Ben and Bruria
Barish and Orit Hamburger, all
of West Bloomfield, and
Mariette Simon of Farmington
Hills. The musicians played the
famous Kleinstein song, "Our
Small Country."
"It is one of the best songs
ever written:' said Paz. "Everyone
in Israel knew it, children and
adults."
Also spotted in the crowd were
Audrey Seifman of West
Bloomfield, there with her hus-
band, Brian and their kids,
Abby, 5, and Dov, 7.
"We try to create a different
feeling from other Middle
Eastern restaurants:' said Lisette,
"by bringing some of the spirit
of Israel to Detroit!"
Lisette and Yossi, a Haifa

native, and their two kids, Dean,
10, and Jeremy, 7, moved to
Metro Detroit four years ago
from her native Netherlands.
They met in Israel.
Yossi's wait staffers wear T-
shirts that read: "Coming Here Is
Like Coming Home."
"That's how we want people to
feel:' Lisette said. ❑

The next sing along is at 7
p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, at
Yossi's, in the Robin's Next
Plaza northeast of Orchard
Lake Road and Northwestern
Highway.

Tzvika Kenet and daughter

Romi, 3, of Farmington Hills

29