For those of you know me, you know that I go to a lot of Jewish cultural and religious events in NYC. However, you also know that I get easily frustrated by the ever divided Jewish community – age, denomination, neighborhood, etc. And I love music, especially anything with hand drums. In January 2005 when my friend Shirley brought me to see the Idan Reichel project, which is a fusion of Israeli and Ethiopian music, I can honestly say it was one the highest spiritual and Jewish communal events I have ever experienced. The event attracted such a diverse crowd – and the energy was seriously intense. I’ve been hooked on the band’s music ever since, and won’t miss this next chance to see the group live. And in Harlem! This show is going to absolutely rock.
Israel at Heart, one of the sponsoring groups, is an organization that advocates for Israel by bringing post-army Israelies in their twenties to speak at college campuses.
For those of you outside of NYC, you just missed the group last weekend in Philly. Upcoming cities include San Diego, Mexico, Tuscon, Dallas and Washington. Check their website for more details.
Note about high ticket prices: Before anyone jumps down my throat about economic diversity and the fact that too many Jewish cultural events are grossly overpriced, I just want to say, I hear you. Especially when we get to shows that go through ticketmaster, forget it – the tickets are going to be ridiculously expensive. However, I have to also say that the last time I saw the Idan Reichel Project, when it was sponored by a few groups at Columbia University, I was psyched that it was only $10. But the quality of the concert really suffered – the sound system was just awful. Almost to the point that I was going to leave the show. It hurt me to hear what had the potential to be a high musical experience, but instead was muffled potential. Without going into the issue much more, my advice is this: if you really want to go, start counting your pennies now – between buying one less drink at the bar, a few meals and a few coffees at home instead of out, and two-three less impulse buys, you can find the cash to attend this event if you really want to. Thought this won’t work for everyone, at least it’s an option for some.