JEWISH MUSIC & CULTURAL FESTIVAL
MEMORIES
Pictured above are Mimi Weiner and Sid Lipton. They are the co-founders of
"KlezFest" - an event celebrating klezmer music from eastern Europe. Back in
2001, Mimi & Sid approached me about getting involved with the event to help
with getting undenwriters, publicity & coordinating the logistics. After the initial
two years in 2000 & 2001, they felt in order to grow the event someone was
needed to be the Festival Organizer. | want to thank Mimi & Sid for putting the
trust in me to be that person! For over 13 years we were able to create a
special wondrous event... he Jewish Music & Cultural Festivall
Both Mimi & Sid along with our committee were open to many of the ideas |
brought to the festival, which are now mainstays - changing the name from
“KlezFest"to “Jewish Music & Cultural Festival of Central New York"...Jewish
Community Synagogues 8 Organizations Tents...Children's Activities
Tent...Jewish arts & crafts village... Shofar blowing... largest CNY Hora
dance... Rabbi's Corner..expanding the Kosher food menu. .more variety for
Jewish music besides Klezmer.
To help the festival, my relationships with the business community and media
along with Jewish synagogues, organizations and community made the "Jewish
Music & Cultural Festival” into a well-established community event. There are
many people, companies, synagogues and organizations that | want to thank
The list will be below.
There are also many highlights over the years...in 2002, moving the festival to
Clinton Square...in 2003, Jewish Community tent & Children Activities tent
added... over 4,000 people attending in 2004 to see SIMPLY TSFAT from
Israel. .n 2005, featuring Jewish rock with RICK RECHT and a display
celebrating 350 years of Jewish-Americans...in 2006, Jewish Jazz with
THERESA TOVA & 100 degree temperature in Clinton Square...in 2007,
PARPARIM ENSEMBLE from New York City presented a Celebration of Israel
in dance and song...in 2008, special "Israel@60" service along with celebrating
Bar & Bat Mitzvahs also with Dads, plus the return of SIMPLY TSFAT..in 2009,
moving the festival to the Jewish Community Center with headliner SUSAN
WATTS, ELAINE HOFFMAN WATTS & THE FABULOUS SHPIELKEHS...in
2010, CNY largest Hora Dance added with shofar blowers along with SIORA &
Jewish Jazz...in 2011, the Rabbi's Comer is a new addition and ATZILUT is the
headliner..in 2012, THE AFRO-SEMITIC EXPERIENCE with Syracuse
Chapter of the Gospel Workshop of America: the Klezmer Kabaret Puppet
Theater and Kosher Beer sampling...in 2013, the theme for the festival was
"Tradition" with honoring synagogues and organizations that are pillars in the
Jewish community along with the international group THE GUY MENDILOW
ENSEMBLE.
Through the years we have had good people on our committee and others
volunteering in tum doing a Mitzvah for the Jewish Community. This truly
became an event that brought the Jewish community together and an outreach
to the community at large to share Jewish music and culturall
Early in 2014, | decided to step back from the festival. Even though I'm not.
involved now, | do wish the best to Mimi, Sid & the festival
The greatest memory | will have of the Jewish Music & Cultural Festival are the
thousands of people that came - schmoozing, dancing, listening, kids playing,
eating and all the smiles on the faces of the people that attended
TODA RABA! (Thank you very much)
Steve Becker
Festival Organizer
Jewish Music & Cultural Festival of Central New York
September 2001-Feburary 2014
To find out about
the current festival
Click Here
THANK YOUS!
This is a list of rabbis, synagogues, organizations, companies and
people that | want to thankil!
Rabbi Shore - Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse,
Rabbi Sherman - Temple Adath Yeshurun, Rabbi Pepperstone & Rabbi
Ain - Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas, Rabbi Fellman & Rabbi
Ezring - Temple Concert, Rabbi Rapoport - Chabad-Lubavitch of Central
New York, Congregation Ner-Tamid and Temple Beth-El.
State Senator John DeFrancisco, Jewish Federation of Central New
York, Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center, City of Syracuse, CNY
Arts (Cultural Resource Council), Pomeranz Trust, Neulander Family,
Paul B. & Georgina H. Roth Charitable Foundation, Syracuse
Convention & Visitors Bureau, Downtown Committee.
Price Chopper, Raymour & Flanigan, Birnbaum Funeral Service, Time
Warner Cable, Natur-Tyme, Sisskind Funeral Service, Menorah Park,
East Syracuse Chevrolet, Manlius Art Cinema, Engel Law Office,
Carnegie Catering, Carvel, Wellcare, Bathfitter, Adecco, Coors Light,
Onondaga Beverage, Integrated Marketing, TJ Sheehan, Seaboard
Graphics.
Jewish Observer, Sunny 102 (Galaxy Communications), Syracuse New
Times, WAER, Eagle Newspapers, The Post-Standard, syracuse.com,
570 WSYR, Table Hopping.
Mimi Weiner, Sid & Donna Lipton, Dan Ward, Shirley Rifkin, Francine
Berg, Vicki Feldman, Rich Friedman, Linda Alexander, Marci Erlebacher,
Judith Stander, Bette Siegel, Sis Zucker, Mark & Cheryl Wolfe, Steffi
Bergman, Steven Sisskind, Ed Levine, "Big Mike" Fiss, Eric Cohen,
Marty & Elaine Birnbaum, Joel Friedman, Wendy Meyerson, Al Lipsy,
Leo Eisner, Art Zimmer, Bill Brod, David Tyler, Mark Fitzgerald, Mary
Beth Roach, Bob Davidson, Steve Herwood, Jonathan & Aveeya Dinkin,
Robert Lieberman, Ben Levy, Sam Young, Ora Jezer, Lori Newcomb,
Faith VanVoolen, Bill LeFluer, Barbara Simon, Joan Bordett, Nancy
Kasow, Mark Frank, Todd Engel, Bill Newman, llene Rein, Rosanne
David, Pat Driscoll, Peter Frantzis, Debra & David Becker, Elihu Cohen,
Marty Morganstein, Walter Kuncio, Sam Fuller.
