Yiddishkayt (Yiddishkeit) means literally Jewishness expressed in Yiddish – a language called mame-loshn (‘mother tongue’). Songs, poems, jokes, swearwords and everyday conversations of Ashkenazi Jews have been spelled in Hebrew letters and have expressed Jewish soul for a thousand years.
Yiddishkayt is a recital of Yiddish songs performed by Bente Kahan & Gjertrud’s Gypsy Orchestra. The program of the concert encompasses various songs: from religious and folk songs to songs written for the Yiddish theatre. It was established in Eastern Europe in the 19th century and developed in the USA and Israel along with the emigration of Jews from Eastern Europe to these countries.
Rooted strongly in Jewish culture, Yiddish music has been significantly influenced by Polish, Russian and Balkan folk music, as well as American blues and musical, but, more importantly, these impacts are bidirectional. It is, therefore, natural to place Yiddish language, literature and music in the context of Western culture – particularly today, when few people understand and speak Yiddish.
Gjertrud’s Gypsy Orchestra consists of: Georg M. Reiss - clarinet, tarogato; Gjertrud Okland – violin; Helene Waage - cello; Pal Thorstensen – double bass; Tom Karlsrud – accordion; Trond Villa – violin, mandolin. Bente Kahan – vocals and guitar.
The concert will start in the Synagogue Under White Stork at 7:00 p.m. Tickets: 35 PLN (full price), 25 PLN (discount price), available from 5:00 p.m. on the day of the event in front of the Synagogue Under White Stork (ul. Włodkowica 5a). You can reserve tickets by e-mail: [email protected], or by phone: 71 782 81 23 or 71 341 89 47.
