Tsvishn Veltn (Between Worlds): A Night of Cabaret
by TOVA MESSER
This year's Uriel Weinreich Summer Program in Yiddish Language, Literature and Culture was kicked off on Tuesday, June 18, 2013 by a retro-chic evening of drinks, refreshments and entertainment celebrating avant-garde Yiddish-Russian culture.
A lively cocktail hour in the Great Hall was followed by performances by Artists in Residence Shane Baker and Yelena Shmulenson, “post-klezmer” songsmith Psoy Korolenko and special guest, klezmer musician Dmitri Slepovitch. Standing and sitting around candle-lit café tables, audience members were treated to a musical and spoken-word performance by Psoy and hilarious musical and comedic routines by Shane and Yelena. My own personal Psoy highlight was a song with Yiddish/Russian lyrics played to a definitively reggae beat: now, you can't say that's not innovative. And what never ceases to amaze me about Shane's routine is that it's funny even if you don't understand a word of Yiddish – his delivery, body language, tone and expressions carry the show. His version of "Yes, we have no bananas" positively brought down the house.
This summer's students come from as far away as China and Japan, as well as from Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Israel, Croatia, Switzerland, Austria, Mexico, Canada and the United States. The evening gave many of the 20- and 30-somethings their first glimpse into the world of YIVO and edgy New York Yiddish culture.
The nearly 100 attendees availed themselves of the thematically appropriate refreshments: smoked whitefish, herring, pickles, and pumpernickel, as well as white wine and vodka. The event drew current students, alumni of the program, writers, intellectuals, foodies, and Yiddishists. The mix made for a truly multi-generational affair, with the average age hovering in the late 20's. Following the performance, participants lingered over the remaining olives, stealing a final few final moments to socialize before heading home. Moving between Yiddish and Russian, Tin Pan Alley and vaudeville, tradition and innovation, the event was indeed "between worlds."