The week that was

March 19, 2010 - 4:37 PM by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: General 

Sometimes you can be lucky enough to have a week consisting of individual events that add up to something monumental – and if you’re even luckier, you may just realize it.

When you’re in the midst of it though, it can seem like running from from one event or task to another. But when you lay it out in print and read it through, you can then be struck by the thought that, yeah, this week was a keeper.

Sde Boker IDF ceremony.

And if you’re fortunate enough to be able to sit back a few decades from now with enough faculties to recall what you did with your life, this is the kind of week that you can look back and smile at, and realize just how fortunate you were.

Let’s start on Saturday night, when my buddy Alan organized a ‘Songs of Freedom and Liberation’ night at our Conservative shul, in the spirit of the hootenanies of the ’60s. Among the highlights for me were getting to sing Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom” backed by Harvey Brooks on electric bass guitar. Harvey’s a rock & roll hall of famer who recently made aliya from the US, and as I told the crowd, he may have played with Hendrix, Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills, but he had never played with anyone of the caliber of the folks gathered on our stage.

The other highlight was getting to play with my son Koby, who lit up the finale of the evening – Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” with an explosive guitar solo. I was proud beyond words.

That pride carried over into Monday night, when Koby’s own band performed at a battle of the bands in Jerusalem to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation which helps cancer-stricken children realize their dreams. With American Idol-style judges including gifted rock pianist Shlomi Shaban, Koby’s band was awarded 3rd place, and the parental pride rose even higher.

On Wednesday, it was a three hours to and from Sde Boker in the Negev for the swearing in ceremony of my daughter’s army unit upon completion of their basic training. Against a stunning desert backdrop, she and her comrades were awarded their rifles and their own Tanach in a moving ceremony that was followed by a rendition of ‘Hatikva.’

Third graders do Pessah.

There was another version of ‘Hatikva’ sung on Friday morning, at the pre-Pessah show put on by my son’s third grade class. Chronicling the Exodus from Egypt in a modern TV news approach, the show was dedicated to captive soldier Gilad Schalit, who’s about to spend his third Seder in Hamas captivity.

Singing ‘Hatikva’ the second time was just as emotional as at the army ceremony. Even though I’ve lived here for a quarter century, it’s only recently that the anthem has struck resonance with me, and during both renditions this week, I silently said thanks that I was raising my children in Israel.

In between all those activities, I actually found time to work a little – including sitting down for an hour interview with Natan Sharansky, the chairman of the Jewish Agency and the celebrated former Prisoner of Zion. And I even got some quality New York Times crossword puzzle time in with my beloved wife, and even, even to to do a little Pessah cleaning.

Just another week in Israel? Or my ‘best’ week? Either way, I’m lucky I can step back for a second and appreciate it.

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Legendary rock bassist chooses Jerusalem stone

August 3, 2009 - 2:46 PM by · 1 Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, General, Immigrant Moments, Music, Profiles 

harveybrooks1The summer is full of flights with new immigrants coming to Israel from the US and Canada. In m my mind, they’re all latter-day Zionist heroes, but not all of them have played on records by Bob Dylan and Miles Davis, or shared a stage with The Doors or Steely Dan.

Meet Israel’s newest immigrant, Harvey Brooks – bass guitarist extraordinaire and the Forrest Gump of rock and roll. He’ll be arriving from Tuscon, Arizona with his wife Bonnie on an August 4th Nefesh B’nefesh flight, but his whole 40-year musical career has been one soaring flight.

He’s played bass guitar on some of the most groundbreaking records of the post-Beatles era – including Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited (1965), Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew (1969), The Doors Soft Parade (1969) and 1968’s Super Session featuring Michael Bloomfield, Al Kooper and Stephen Stills. And that’s only a fraction of the some 100 albums he’s appeared on or produced over the last 40 years on his way to cementing his status as one of the most respected figures on the American music scene.

He spoke with me for an article in the The Jerusalem Post.

“We’ve been going back and forth for a number of years, and every time we’re here, we’d talk about moving,” said the 65-year-old Brooks, whose stepdaughter Lori lives in the Gush Etzion settlement Neve Daniel. “Our two other kids are secure and established now, and we figured this is the time for us, for an adventure. It’s a good time to come.”

Calling Tuscon home since 1998, Brooks and Bonnie opened a guitar and music shop (17th Street Guitars and World Music) inside an international food market, the 17th St. Farmer’s Market, and started a Web business together with Jerusalem-based Web developer Charlie Kalish call Treasure Hidden that sells items from both establishments as well as other artifacts. To add to the symbiosis, Brooks formed a band with the market owner, called the 17th Street Band, playing a mix of rock, soul and blues.

“We’ve just released an album called Positively 17th Street,” said Brooks proudly, adding that while he’s going to be spending most of his time in Jerusalem, he plans on keeping his US endeavors ongoing. But when asked if he’s going to become musically active in Israel, Brooks said, “absolutely.”

“There are some great musicians in Israel. The last time we were here, we got to meet Ehud Banai, he’s a wonderful man and a great artist. Hopefully, we’ll spend some time with him,” said Brooks.

Welcome to the ‘hood, Harvey.

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