30 | MAY 2 • 2024 
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t’s a concert that contains 
part Yiddish, part 
klezmer, part modern 
sounds and part stories in 
English that communicate 
the history and emotions 
expressed throughout the 
program. 
It’s “The Klezmers Play 
On,” this season’s Laker 
Concert offered free on 
Sunday afternoon, May 5, 
to an audience at Temple 
Israel in West Bloomfield. 
The program will be repeated 
May 30 in New York.
The concert, 
honoring the late 
Sarah and Harry 
Laker, features 
talent from New 
York — Daniella 
Rabbani, an 
actress who 
appears in 
television 
dramas, and 
Dan Nadel 
with Balkanika, 
musicians heard 

alongside noted jazz artists 
like Chico Freeman and Dave 
Liebman. 
The New Yorkers are 
performing with 
Temple Israel 
Cantor Michael 
Smolash, who has 
presented Yiddish 
events in theater 
venues.
“Yiddish is 
something I’ve 
been doing all my life,” 
Cantor Smolash said. “I’ve 
been singing Yiddish songs 
since I was in elementary 
school and presenting 
Yiddish theater in the Doro 
Wasserman Yiddish Theatre 
of Montreal. 
“My recital for college 
graduation included it, and 
all through my career, in 
concerts around Toronto, I 
presented Yiddish selections.”
Rabbani, who has appeared 
in the film Oceans 8 with 
Sandra Bullock and TV 
programs such as God 

Friended Me and Scenes 
From a Marriage, first heard 
Yiddish in her family and 
moved into studies that 
prepared her for the stage.
“There will be English in 
the program because we want 
to make it as welcoming as 
possible for everyone,” the 
cantor said. “No Yiddish 
required is the strategy, so 
we have a program with 
translations. Stories will 
make sure people know 
what’s going on, and we’ve 
translated sections of the 
concert into English to keep 
people into the show.” 
One translation, for 
example, presents a Yiddish 
version of the popular song 
“What a Wonderful World.” 
Cantor Smolash said the 
entire show was rehearsed 
after he traveled to New 
York, and he explained 
program selections were 
made for people who love 
Yiddish and people who 
potentially will love Yiddish.

A FRESH APPROACH
“The band has a fresh 
approach to how they play 
Yiddish music,” Cantor 
Smolash said. “They find 
angles that make songs sound 
new. One song sounds like 
a tango, and ‘Dona Dona’ 
sounds like a rock ‘n roll 
song.
“Yiddish culture 
reflected everything in the 
urban experiences of my 
grandparents. Their lives in 
Warsaw put them in the New 
York City of that time so you 
have every single thing going 
on.”
Anyone who thinks 
Yiddish is not for young 
people should see Daniella, 
the cantor advised. He 
believes that young audience 
members will have as much 
fun as they have at any 
contemporary music event 
while awakening something 
deep inside them that’s in 
every Jew. 
Rabbani said she is looking 

Cantor 
Michael 
Smolash

Daniella 
Rabbani

Dan Nadel 

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

OUR COMMUNITY

‘The Klezmers 
 Play On’

Temple Israel’s Laker Concert 
Temple Israel’s Laker Concert 
celebrating Yiddish on May 5 
celebrating Yiddish on May 5 
is free and open to the 
is free and open to the 
community.
community.

