Sunday, June 13, 2010
Cook County Forest Preserve

Spertus presented a series of workshops with Festival performers as they shared the Jewish connections and experiences that inspire their music. This series of programs was held at the Spertus Jewish Music Workshop Tent on the Festival grounds.

12 noon – 12:30 pm
Saul Kaye
Prayer Through Music

International touring artist Saul Kaye is pioneering a new genre of music: Jewish Blues. Like his great grandfather who blazed a trail from Russia to South Africa to trade cattle between warring African tribes, Saul brings together the sounds of the Delta and the stories of the Torah. In this unique workshop, he invited listeners to discover his personal connection to prayer through music.

1:30 – 2 pm
Cantor Jeff Klepper
Songs You Never Learned in Shul

The music and lyrics of singers like Allan Sherman, Tom Lehrer, and Kinky Friedman are more than funny—they tell the story of Jewish cultural identity in America. And who better to interpret and explain these forgotten musical gems than the internationally respected cantor, Jeff Klepper, a teacher, performer, and composer of beloved Jewish songs?

2:45 – 3:15 pm
Lori Lippitz and Shelley Yoelin
Listening to Klezmer

What is Klezmer music? Where did it come from? Where is it going? Lori Lippitz and Shelley Yoelin, two of the founding musicians of Chicago’s renowned Maxwell Street Klezmer Band, presented a musical voyage through the past, present, and future of this legendary, danceable genre of Jewish music.

Spertus Executive Chef Laura Frankel gave an "In the Kosher Kitchen" Cooking Demonstration Tent at 12 noon.