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Arts & Entertainment

All-Star Lineup

For Israel's 60th, "A Fair to Remember" offers entertainment for the whole family.

Suzanne Chessler
Special to the Jewish News

T

he parents of Yehuda
Solomon were born and
raised in the United States
— but moved to Israel to advance
their musical careers. Now their son,
born and raised in Israel, temporarily
has moved to the U.S. to advance his
own musical career.
Solomon's dual national heritage,
which led to his singing and percus-
sion work for the band Moshav, seems
very appropriate for the family con-
cert that closes "A Fair to Remember;'
a Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit-sponsored celebration of the
60th anniversary of the founding of
Members of Moshav
Israel to be held 3-10 p.m. Thursday,
Aug. 21, at the Michigan State
Fairgrounds at Eight Mile and Woodward
Himmelman's father-in-law.
Avenue in Detroit (where the annual fair
The current lineup of Moshav, which
officially opens the next day). The concert combines spiritual and world music most
begins 7 p.m. in the main band shell.
recently in the CD Misplaced, includes
Peter Himmelman, internationally
Yehuda's brother Yosef Solomon on bass,
known singer-songwriter, will perform
David Swirsky on rhythm guitar, Karen
and serve as master of ceremonies for the
Teperberg on drums and C. Lanzbom on
program that includes the Birmingham
lead guitar.
Bloomfield Symphony Orchestra, Detroit's
The Solomon brothers collaborate on
Drummer Boyz, the Michigan Board of
writing the music and lyrics they perform
Cantors Choir, the World of Faith Choir,
and have entertained Hillel groups on
the Mt. Moriah Choir, videos and fire-
Michigan's college campuses.
works.
"We're Jewish, but our music is not
Earlier in the day, 4-7 p.m. in the Family intended just for Jews:' explains Yehuda
Grove, there will be family entertainment
Solomon, a cantor at the Happy Minyan
with special segments for the younger set. in Los Angeles. "We want to inspire people
Himmelman joins this show along with
toward unity and love, and it's been very
Corinne Stavish presenting interactive
special to meet non-Jews attending these
stories about Israel, Kids Klez Band offer-
events!'
ing upbeat klezmer sounds and an Israeli
Lisa Soble Siegmann has been working
Dance Spectacular featuring audience
closely with a group of volunteers to plan
instruction and participation.
the entertainment.
"It's so great to be with different com-
"This event will be the place to celebrate
munities celebrating this anniversary:'
and be grateful for the connection of
says the 33-year-old Solomon, who travels
Michigan Jews to Israel:' says Siegmann,
with a five-piece band for similar anni-
on the Program and Music Committee
versary concerts around the United States, chaired by Linda Klein and Jon Citrin.
Canada and Australia.
"Picking the entertainment was a long
"We perform some of the songs from
and arduous process, and we feel concert-
our recordings and music introduced by
goers will enjoy the sounds and the sense
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, who founded
of Israeli pride that will be felt:'
the moshav where I grew up:' On the
The concert, which will be multimedia,
moshav, Solomon listened to the record-
is factored into the price of entry to the
ings his parents had brought to Israel
fairgrounds, where the mainstream exhib-
from America — those of Van Morrison,
its and vendors will be up and running.
Neil Young and Bob Dylan, who is
There also will be kosher stations with

American and Israeli foods.
"People can come with their friends
and their kids," Siegmann says. "We're
expecting 10,000-15,000 people with the
Maccabi participants, who will have their
closing ceremonies as part of this event!'
Himmelman, 48, who writes and per-
forms music for adults and children, has
a repertoire of hundreds of songs to share
with "A Fair to Remember" audiences. It's
been about five years since he's been to the
area.
"I'm not doing a lot of these celebra-
tions," says Himmelman, who develops
his music in a studio built along his
California property. "It's only because I
like Detroit that I'm doing this one. I have
some friends from the city and enjoy the
Midwest, Great Lakes, cars and Motown
music.
"The children's stuff I perform is always
for adults, but the adult stuff is not always
for children. It's not that there's anything
untoward in the adult material. It's that
some of the themes would be out of con-
text!"
Himmelman, who scored the music for
the TV shows Bones and Men in Trees and
can be heard on his latest CD, The Pigeons
Couldn't Sleep, which is about anxiety, says
Judaism enters into his songs although not
overtly.
"I wake up feeling Jewish and go to
sleep feeling Jewish, and the religion
is a huge part of my identity;' says
Himmelman, whose own children are

Peter Himmelman

enrolled in Jewish schools. "It's very likely
that all my songs have some sort of Jewish
themes!'
Harriet Berg, who has a long career of
teaching and performing dance in the
Michigan Jewish community as well as the
larger community, has been at the helm
of arrangements for the dance program
with Cheryl Feit, who teaches Israeli dance
at the Jewish Community Centers in West
Bloomfield and Ann Arbor.
"How can you have a celebration of
Israel without having authentic Israeli
dances?" asks Berg, who invited famed
choreographer Shmulik Gov-Ari to plan
the program. Feit worked with 50 adults,
teens and children to work out the four
numbers that tell stories about Jewish
heritage.
"When we ask the audience to join in,
we will teach simple dances that everyone
can learn:' Berg says. "This really will be
family dancing!'

❑

Tickets for "A Fair to Remember"
are available at www.jewishdetroit.
org/israelsixty or by calling (877)
772-5425. Prices start at $15.95
with additional fees for processing
and parking. For more information,
call (248) 205-2538.

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August 14 • 2008

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