W
hen Cantor Michael
Smolash was tasked
with booking the
2023 Laker Concert, he knew
that Dan Nadel from B’Nai
Jeshurun in New
York would be
a natural fit for
Temple Israel and
the Greater Detroit
Jewish community.
And the show,
“Like a Rolling
Stone — Bob
Dylan’s American
Mythology,
” is free and open to
the public on Sunday, May 7, at
4 p.m. The concert is sponsored
in loving memory of Sarah and
Harry Laker, who through their
family, have continued to help
provide musical moments for
Temple Israel and the greater
Detroit Jewish community.
“Sometimes you find the
right music for the community
and it’s good and wonderful;
sometimes it’s just someone
who is impressive and musical
and magnetic and they kind
of transcend everything else,”
Smolash said. “
And Dan is one
of those guys. He’s just spectac-
ular on the guitar and a huge
voice in the future of Jewish
music. So, I wanted to bring
him in because he’s someone
our music lovers would love to
see on stage.”
Nadel will be adding some
star power from both coasts.
Fans of The Late Late Show with
James Corden will recognize
Hagar Ben Ari. Fans of John
Zorn or Chrissie Hynde may
recognize drummer extraor-
dinaire Yuval Lion, who tours
regularly with both artists.
Along with accomplished sing-
ers from the New York scene,
and Nadel’s own consummate
guitar chops, this show will be
a delight both for Dylan fans
and for those new to his music.
The show will be woven
together by narration from
Temple Israel’s Rabbi Paul
Yedwab — a self-described die-
hard Dylan groupie.
Nadel said the concept for
this particular concert was
born in 2017, when he pro-
duced a concert dedicated to
the music of Leonard Cohen,
where the set list was curated
using many of the insights that
Rabbi Aubry Glazer had writ-
ten in a book about the artist.
Two years later, in 2019,
Glazer wrote a book dedicated
to Bob Dylan’s music and how
it connected to Judaism, God
Knows, Everything is Broken:
The Great (Gnostic) Americana
Songbook of Bob Dylan.
“(Rabbi Glazer) came to us
with the same idea, and I put
together a set list independent-
ly and then he suggested a few
songs that he explored in his
book but are less well known
and explore Dylan’s spiritual
past and wanderings,” Nadel
said.
The Laker Concert will be
similar, but more condensed
and delivered within an hour,
according to Nadel.
“It’s going to be more of a
collection of greatest hits that
we are bringing to Temple
Israel,” Nadel said. “But many
of the same themes and ideol-
ogies from our original show
will carry over.”
Nadel, an Israeli-born, New
York-based musician, said, for
him, Dylan’s music connects
because of the simplicity and
poetry of his writing.
“To me, he has insight into
the human condition in a way
where he’s willing to look at
darkness, the beauty, the cyn-
icism, in an incredible way,”
Nadel said. “He brings this
narrative in, but I never feel
like he’s part of the narrative.
It’s usually him looking at the
scene and describing it — but
describing it with this rare
insight … it’s a way to analyze
human emotions and tenden-
cies, where he’s
looking to make it
real. The poetry is
beautiful because
it’s real.”
Rabbi Yedwab
will pick up where
Rabbi Glazer left off
and share insights
and anecdotes to frame the
brilliant Dylan lyrics and mel-
odies.
“I think with having Rabbi
Yedwab up on stage adding
anecdotes, it’s going to be a
wonderful setup for Temple
Israel and our community,
”
Smolash said. “I think people
are going to love it.
”
Delve into ‘Bob Dylan’s American
Mythology’ at Temple Israel Laker
Concert on May 7.
‘Like a
Rolling Stone’
Cantor
Michael
Smolash
SEAN SHAPIRO SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
Rabbi Paul
Yedwab
Details
“Like a Rolling Stone — Bob Dylan’s American Mythology” is
free and open to the public and will be held at Temple Israel
on Sunday, May 7, at 4 p.m. This concert is sponsored in
loving memory of Sarah and Harry Laker, who through their
Temple foundation have provided the finest musical offerings
for Temple Israel and the greater Detroit Jewish community
for many years.
Dan Nadel
OUR COMMUNITY
26 | MAY 4 • 2023