Newspaper Page Text
Kosher do-ze-do *
* ’ *, * v- ■'*,'*'*■'■*■■>■ >j. * .•*'*, '••■ ? • » £ , ■ '-% # ", - r
Jerusalem loves square dancing
by Martin Hoffman
TW Jin.il— Pom
Paul Graham, a recent
immigrant from London, it a
throwback lo the musician* of
Appalachia or Mid-Western
America. His Jerusalem
apartment vibrates with banjos,
guitars, mandolins, and twangy
square dance calls.
“The Yemenites go crazy over
this stuff," says Graham. “They
love square dancing."
•To accommodate them, the
callers chant a Virginia Reel in
Hebrew.
At a recent gathering in
Graham’s apartment, a group of
musician* known as “The New
Jerusalem Rounders” jammed for
several hours, surrounded by a
crowd of Israelis, Americans, and
Europeans. Throughout the
evening, the door kept opening to
admit additional musicians and
spectators.
“This is like being back in
Kansas," said a foot-stomping
spectator in jeans and workboots.
Another, tapping some spoons,
reckoned that “those old Jewish
kings probably left behind a few
spirits that crave a little banjo
action."
“The New Jerusalem Rounders'
Graham, lead singer for The
Rounders, got into bluegrass
country music as a result of his
attachment to Israel. Visiting
Israel in 1971, he brought along a
$5 guitar. The lack of a record
player forced him to discover his
latent talent.
“The first thing I did when I
returned to England was buy a
good guitar," he says.
After immigrating to Israel in
1976, Graham worked as an
assistant accountant in a large
Raising 4 Jewish IQ’
i
AMES, IOWA—A unique board game created by a Sunday
School teacher in Ames, Iowa, promises to be a boon to Jewish
schoolchildren and adults who want to improve their “Jewish IQ"
while enjoying the experience. “Aliyah" is the name of the game,
and the object is to move across the board from the U.S. to Israel.
Getting there is half the fun, since to move ahead players must
answer a host of questions about such categories as Jewish history,
Bible, holidays, even Yiddish expressions. “Mazel” and “Bracha”
cards can give one a lucky (or unlucky) break.
jam away to a foot stomping beat.
construction company, then for a
travel agency, and finally in the
salaries department of the Jewish
Agency. Yet at night, he usually
found himself in a vortex of
bluegrass musicians.
“1 started playing with The
Rounders because they had no
singers,” he says. “They were
pretty tired of instrumentals."
Before that, he had played only
folk music on the guitar and
listened to hard rock recordings.
“The environment affected me.
Bluegrass stuck in my mind and
held me.” It’s impact was strong
enough so that he exchanged his
guitar for a mandolin.
The New Jerusalem Rounders
crystallized through coffee house
a. David Mencher, who came
to Israel from Brooklyn 10 years
ago, met Graham on the street one
fi
BROWN’S
isa
showplace
...you’ll
love it!
IN PERSON
JERRY LEWIS
M Sat.. Aug. 12 y
ALIZA KASHI
Sat., July 29
ENZO STUARTI
y Sat., Am. 19 y
SERGIO FRANCHI
Sun., Sapt. 3
OUTDOOR & INDOOR POOL
& HEALTH CLUB-NEW INOOOR
ICE SKATING RINK
JERRY LEWIS THEATER CLUB
NIGHT TENNIS-FREE GOLF
Fun-filled activitiei — Rock
n Roll Band — Supervised
Day Camp — Night Patrol —
Dietary Laws
CONVENTION GROUPS OUR SPECIALTY
Charles & Lillian hotu
BROWNS
Loch Shaldraka. NY 12759
Til : (914) 434 5151
FOR RESERVATIONS
OUTSIDE NEW YORK STATE
CALL TOLL FREE
(800) 431 3856
day and said, “Listen, I don’t know
you, but 1 need a couple of lira for
the bus." From there it was but a
single step to joining the group.
Liz Taub, a seasoned veteran of
the Susquehanna River Basin
Band was “just passing throuRh."
Lenny Wurtzel, the banjo player,
had come to Jerusalem from a
distant kibbutz “in search of fame
and fortune.”
The group has played in various
Jerusalem coffee houses, most
recently Fun 2. “For a long time;
there were no organized
performances,” says Graham. “We
just hung out together."
Because of a need for a formal
framework, Graham arranged
regular Tuesday night perform
ances at Fun 2. “We’ve developed a
following,” he notes.
In addition to making
arrangements for his own group to
play at the coffee house, he has
organized spots for various other
performers ranging from straight
folk to piano boogie.
“Some of these people really
ought to be heard," he says. “It’s i
absurd to have their music
bouncing around empty I
apartments."
Graham, who still works as an
accountant by day, wants to open
his own place with a hall for
performances, a coffee bar dealing
in blintzes, and a record shop.
“We’re working on finances,” he
says. “What we need is a location
and a few people willing to invest
some time and energy.”
• Lasogna
• Spaghetti
• Salods
• Sandwiches
• Deer 0 Wine
• Homemade Dough
• Sicillian or Thin Crust
BELLA
PIZZA
6435 Roswell Rd.
255-9122
sM’Things
miA_
INC
CHAMBIK PLAZA
5504 PaachtTM Ind. Mvd.
1 mfle inside the Perimeter
451-7186
HOURS: MON. SAT.,
10 TO 6
THE LARGEST
SELECTION OF
HANDBAGS
IN THE SOUTH
Priced Especially For You
Including the Largest Selection
of Designer Handbags
Gold Discovery
1 Day Only — Sat. July 22nd.
50,000 of 14K. Gold Jewelry
20 to 50% OFF Reg. Price
c
Clearance Sale 50% Price
• Handbags • Costume Jewelry
• N’ Things
Page 7 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE July 21, 197g
