In celebration of Jewish food, music and culture, Hillel at Ohio University sponsored KlezFest, which featured klezmer music, dancing and a variety of traditional Jewish foods, last night in Margaret M. Walter Hall Rotunda.
Basically
it's a celebration of the Jewish culture which is pretty diverse said OU senior Matthew Waldman, who helped organize the event. The majority of things we're doing come from Eastern European ... Jewish culture. Rabbi Danielle Leshaw, director of Hillel, said klezmer music, which is traditionally associated with Jewish celebrations such as weddings, is based on traditional eastern European folk music.
The instruments used in klezmer music include clarinets, violins, percussion instruments and occasionally accordions, Leshaw said.
Waldman said klezmer music originated with Jewish musicians who traveled Europe and played music on joyous occasions.
It was something that was invented mainly by these Jewish musicians
Waldman said.
KlezFest featured Margot Leverett and the Klezmer Mountain Boys, a klezmer and bluegrass band from New York City.
What's so special about them and one of the reasons we decided that they were the best band for KlezFest is that they merged klezmer music with bluegrass
bluegrass being popular regional music
Leshaw said. It made the most sense to bring this band. Leverett, the founder and leader of the band, said the band uses klezmer and bluegrass music together to create a contrast and also show the similarities between the two types of music.
Leverett also said klezmer music is associated with the culture of Judaism rather than the religious aspect.
Klezmer is Eastern European Jewish secular music. It's not religious music
Leverett said. This is the party music of the Jewish people -party music and dance music. Although there are different types of dances depending on the rhythm of a song, Leverett said people will sometimes continue dancing even when the band switches to a bluegrass song.
It just adds to the hilarity and the joy of the occasion
Leverett said.
OU junior Hannah Goldman said the traditional Jewish food was also an important part of the event because food and drink is such a big part of Jewish culture.
Judaism is a culture almost as much as it is a religion
Goldman said. You don't have to be Jewish to appreciate Jewish culture. Goldman said the dishes were all kosher and prepared on different days so students would be able to help out when they had a chance.
The wine served at the event was also kosher, and two of the three types of wine came from vineyards in Israel, Waldman said.
Almost 200 students and Athens residents attended the event, which was sponsored by Hillel and the Student Activities Commission.
I think this is really cool. There's not a lot of cultural diversity in Athens and to have so many people here
I think that's awesome
OU sophomore Cara Varney said.
Students felt it was time to really celebrate Jewish culture and invite the campus community to experience a really specific kind of Jewish music that's exciting and interesting and different
