Click on a year above to view past concerts from 1986 to 2005
1986
A one-day event at the BRJCC, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. The grant was obtained by Sabina Ubell, director of the recently established center, and enthusiastically championed by Ursula Sherman, one of the center’s founders. Her philosophy was that music was a great way to build a sense of community.
1987
Director: Gerry Tenney
The Story of Yiddish Folk Song: Ruth Rubin
Yiddish Children’s Songs: Betty Albert Schreck and Gerry Tenney
Yiddish Folk Songs: Anna Schwartz, Marium Frydman and East Bay Jewish Folk Chorus
Ladino and Sephardic Songs: Shana Winokur and members of the Sara Willis Family
Sephardic, Turkish, and Middle Eastern Music: Jazayer with Mimi Spencer & Vince Delgado
Klezmer and Yiddish Songs: Joel Rubin Klezmer Band with Michael Alpert
1988
Music, Dance and Culture: The Yiddish Speaking Tradition
Director: Gerry Tenney
A Voice Still Heard: Bronya Sakina, Michael Alpert, and the Joel Rubin Ensemble
Joel Rubin Klezmer Band
1989
The Variety of Our Traditions
Director: Gerry Tenney
The New Klezmer Trio: with Ben Goldberg, Dan Seamans, Kenny Wollesen
Klezmer Jam with Various Musicians
A Celebration in Memory of Bronya Sakina and Dave Tarras: Michael Alpert with the Joel Rubin Klezmer Band
1990
Cultural Arts Program Director: Juanita Englander
Festival Director: Ursula Sherman
Songs of the Sephardim: Judy Frankel
Members of the Klezmatics: Lorin Sklamberg and Alicia Svigals
Kaila Flexer and Mike Marshall
The California Klezmer Band: Betty Albert Schreck, Gerry Tenney, Beth Well, Jim Rebhan, and David Gray
Sarah Felder
1991
The World of Sholem Aleichem
Director: Ursula Sherman
Music & Yiddish Songs: Lauren Brody
Readings from Sholem Aleichem: Yiddish Folk Theatre & The White Plume Players
Revolt of the Chickens: Gerry Tenney and the California Klezmer Band
1992
Resoundingly Russian
Cultural Arts Director: Harriet Fields Herman (aka Miriam Chaya)
Festival Director: Ursula Sherman
Russian Cabaret and Dance: Tziganya
Gypsy and Russian Folksongs: Nada Lewis and Ola Kolind
Russian Vaudeville and Magic Just for Kids: Max and Fossie
Yiddish and Russian Folksongs: Regina and Vladimir Karpovich
Performing and Leading Gypsy Dancing: Vassilii Mountian, Ballet Master of Moiseyev Dance Ensemble
1993
Moroccan Judeo-Spanish Music
Cultural Arts Director: Harriet Fields Herman (aka Miriam Chaya)
Advisory Committee:
Bonnie Charyn, Stan Klezmer, Jonathan Seidel, Ursula Sherman, Gerry Tenney Gerineldo, Kelly Sultan Amar, Oro Anahory-Librowicz, Solly Levy, Judith Cohen
Gerineldo: The Authentic Moroccan Sephardic Folk Ensemble
1994
From Bukhara to Berkeley
Cultural Arts Director: Stacey Roberts
Festival Chair: Ursula Sherman
Performing Shostakovich, Mendelssohn and Rossi—I Gatti Freschi: trio of Michael Jones, Gwyneth Davis, John Burke
Yiddish and Ladino Music: Flossie Lewis and Jonathan Seidel
Children’s Concert: Flossie Lewis
From Kasrilivke to California: Gerry Tenney and California Klezmer (David Gray, David Rayna, and Jim Rebhan)
Bukharan Music and Dance: Ilyas Malayev Ensemble
1995
A Decade of Diversity
Cultural Arts Director: Stacey Roberts
Festival Chair: Ursula Sherman
Advisory Committee:
Steve Baker, Laurette Goldberg, Stan Klezmer, Hester Lox, Claire Rothenberg, Jonathan Seidel, Ed Silberman, Olga Winkler
The Jewish Spirit in Seven Centuries of Classical Music: Sylvie Braitman, Lois Brandwynne, Amy Brodo, Rachel Brott, Sam Coffin, Jeremy Cohen, Meg Cotner, Joe Edelberg, Stephanie Friedman, Laurette Goldberg, Lisa Grodin, Michael Grossman, Stephen Guggenheim, Richard Hessel, Shira Kammen, Yonit Lea Kosovske, Andy Luchansky, Sharon Mann, David Morris, David Schneider, and Sandford Schneider
Celebrating the Lives of Two Jewish Musicians: David and Sanford Schneider
A Cornucopia of Jewish Music from the Past 100 years: the Epstein Brothers (Max, Willie and Julie), Joel Rubin and Peter Sokolow
Four Cantors in Concert and Conversation: Brian Reich, Nancy Kassel, Linda Hirschhorn, Howard S. Cohen
Children’s Concert: Sandi Moray and Robin Goodfellow
1996
A Tribute to Jewish Music: Classical, Klezmer & Cool
Chair: Ursula Sherman
Coordinator: Kara Goldhamer
Advisory Committee:
Steve Baker, Joel Bashevkin, Ben Brinner, Gloria Dulgov, Ed Epstein, Laurette Goldberg, Stan Klezmer, Hester Lox, Claire Rothenberg, Jonathan Seidel, Ed Silberman, and Olga Winkler
A Celebration of Jerusalem in Song: Cantor Stephen Richards conducting the Bay Area Jewish Chorale and Cantors Roslyn Barak, Marc Dinkin, Boris Kazansky, Ilene Keys, Stephen Richards, with pianist Arkady Serper
Children’s Concert: Gerry Tenney, Betty Albert Schreck, and California Klezmer
From Europe to the New World: Gerry Tenney, Nada Lewis and David Reyna
Klezmer Concert and Workshop: Orit Orbach, Gerry Tenney and California Klezmer
RebbeSoul: Joel Alpers, David Scott Cohen and Lynn Stephens
Music from Countries Where Jews Flourished: Performed by Claudia Bloom, Sylvie Braitman, Rachel Brott, Joseph Edelberg, Josepha Fath, Lisa Grodin, Christopher Hanford,
Tom Heimberg, Daniel Hoffman, Phyllis Kamrin, Carla Kaufman, Andrew Luchansky, Orit Orbach, Myriam Perkoff, George Thomson, William Trimble, Etty Ben Zaken, Michael Feriell Zbyszynski.
Directed by Laurette Goldberg
1997
A Tribute To Jewish Music: East and West, Old and New
Chair: Ursula Sherman
Coordinator: Patt Perlow
Advisory Committee:
Steve Aultman, Steve Baker, Joel Bashevkin, Deborah Bernick, Sylvie Braitman, Ben Brinner, Naomi Davidman, Gloria Dulgov, Laurette Goldberg, Ed Epstein, Stan Klezmer, Hester Lox, Judith McFadin, Claire Rothenberg, Ellie Shapiro, Ed Silberman, and Olga Winkler
The Art of the Cantor: 3000 years from East to West: Cantor Aaron Bensoussan with Vladimir Polezhayev
Songs My Father Taught Me: Sylvia Braitman with Jeremy Cohen, Mikel Estrin, Carla Kaufman, Jay Stebley and Clark Welsh
Children’s Concert: Fran Avni
Klezmer Jam and Workshop: Gerry Tenney and members of the California Klezmer Band
From the Music of the Yiddish Stage to the Klezmer Revival: Zalmen Mlotek with Sylvie Braitman and Daniel Hoffman
Jazz, Blues and More: Improvisations on Jewish Themes: Jeremy Cohen, Richard Kaplan,
Hurricane Sam Rudin and Fredric Zimmerman
1998
A Tribute to Jewish Music: East and West, Old and New
Co-Chairs: Ursula Sherman and Ellie Shapiro
Producer: Laura Sheppard
Coordinator: Rachel Winheld
Advisory Committee:
Steve Baker, Joel Bashevkin, Deborah Bernick, Sylvie Braitman, Ben Brinner, Gloria Dulgov, Laurette Goldberg, Yossi Hets-Ohana, Stan Klezmer, Hester Lox, Claire Rothenberg, Ed Silverman, and Olga Winkler
Salamone Rossi & the Jewish-Italian Renaissance: Ensemble Parnassus, directed by Nolan Gasser
Yiddish Music from Bilgoray to Brooklyn to Broadway: Eleanor Reissa and Frank London
A Klezmer Matinee: Daniel Hoffman and Jeanette Lewicki
A “Bisl” This, A “Bisl” That! Robbo: Robb Zelonky
Children’s Concert with Robbo: Robb Zelonky
San Francisco Klezmer Experience Performance and Jam: Daniel Hoffman, Jeanette Lewicki, Sheldon Brown, Stuart Brotman, Richard Saunders, Charlie Seavey, Kevin Mummey, and Stephen Saxon
Songs My Father Taught Me: Sylvie Braitman and Michael Grossman
Voices of Israel: Performed by Yaakov Avitan, Adama with Achi Ben Shalom, Sylvie Braitman, Jeremy Cohen, Laurie Eisler, Michael Gill, Michael Grossman, Daniel Hoffman, George Lammam, Tony Lammam, Nicole LeCorgne, and Jan Padover
Patron Event: Richard Kaplan and Olga Talroze
1999
Jewish Music Festival: East and West, Old and New
Co Chairs: Ursula Sherman and Ellie Shapiro
Producer: Laura Sheppard
Coordinator: Rachel Winheld
Advisory Committee:
Steve Baker, Joel Bashevkin, Deborah Bernick, Sylvie Braitman, Stuart Brotman, Laurette Goldberg, Stan Klezmer, Hester Lox, Claire Rothenberg, Ed Silberman, and Olga Winkler
Ghetto Tango: Zalmen Mlotek and Adrienne Cooper
Jewish Music on the Edge: John Schott & Co. (Jewlia Eisenberg, Rob Burger, Tom Yoder, Scott Amendola) and Charming Hostess (Jewlia Eisenberg, Carla Kihlstedt, Nina Rolle, Nils Frykdahl, Dan Rathbun, Wesley Anderson)
3000 Years of Jewish Music: Laurette Goldberg with Nolan Gasser, Rachel Brott, Sylvie Braitman
Music of the Fertile Crescent: Shira Kammen & Company - Susan Rode Morris, Kit Higginson, Peter Maund
The Bride Unfastens Her Braids, the Groom Faints: Judeo-Spanish Love Songs: Eitan Steinberg, Etty Ben Zaken, Letitia Berlin, Christopher Hanford, Amy Brodo, and Tim Fuson
A Tapestry of Morocco: Rabbi-Cantor Haim Louk, with Henry Azra, Aziz Alami, Bouchaib Abdelhadi, and Muhssein Gharzouz
Finif-The Art of Klezmer Doina: Stuart Brotman, Kaila Flexer, Julie Egger, Stephen Saxon, David Skuse, Suzy Rothfield Thompson and Daniel Hoffman
Patron Reception: Davka (Daniel Hoffman, Moses Sedler, Peter Maund)
2000
A Tribute to Jewish Music: East and West, Old and New
Co-Chairs: Ursula Sherman and Ellie Shapiro
Producer: Judith McFadin
Advisory Committee:
Steve Baker, Sylvie Braitman, Ben Brinner, Stuart Brotman, Laurette Goldberg, Stan Klezmer, Claire Rothenberg, Ed Silberman, Marion Steinkellner and Olga Winkler
La Juive (The Jewess): a semi-staged performance with Rachel Brott, Jorge Garza, Stephen Guggenheim, Ethan Herschenfeld, Lise Lindstrom, Gary Sorenson. Directed by Daniel Helfgot, narrated by Harvey Varga, orchestra conducted by Alexander Katsman.
Ben Goldberg’s Twelve Minor: with Miya Masaoka, John Schott, Rob Sudduth, John Shifflet, and Phil Haynes
Nigunim: Frank London and Lorin Sklamberg of the Klezmatics, with Rob Schwimmer
Jewish Cultural Revival in Ukraine: Arkady Gendler with Jeannette Lewicki
Song of the Lodz Ghetto: Brave Old World: Michael Alpert, Alan Bern, Kurt Bjorling, Stuart Brotman