Tichels and Tie Dye?

Why this right-wing, political conservative, Orthodox Ima to 8 is going to the Jerusalem Woodstock Revival.

On July 30th, at Kraft Stadium, Jerusalem will get its own taste of Woodstock and the 60’s. Flower children from around Israel will meet on a summer afternoon for music,. tie dye vendors, and picnics chillin’ out under the summer sky.

Why will I be there? I am not a hippie by ANY means. And despite my ‘interesting’ years as a teen and 20-something prior to becoming a “baal teshuvah”, I never was a hippie. Wall Street in the 80s is more like it…. growing up in Connecticut, our town was listed in the preppy handbook. We were “the man”, and everything ‘he’ represented.

So why go?

It’s a great, safe, wholesome family outing…

An open-air musical festival that is family-friendly is a great summer activity. My kids don’t care if it is “hippie music” — especially since they have no idea what that means. What they do care about is that Ima and Abba have stopped working, on a beautiful day, and taken them out to a place with music and room to run around, dance with bubbles or a ball and be free while we pay attention to them instead of a laptop. There aren’t enough opportunities for that in any summer, and I am looking forward to taking this one. Kids under five are free (there was a time when I could have made money off of them with that deal…) I love that it starts at 4:30; it means we can have a fun time that doesn’t start when they need to go to bed. And while the “tone” of the performances may change as the evening wears on, me and my kids can have a great time and still get them home close to bedtime, leaving the “night-time” vibe for people much cooler than us.

2. There is no amount of supporting local musicians that is “enough”.

Musician Mark Rashkow with some “fans” on stage.

The folks who play at this festival are really really good. And we all know they have to keep day jobs because playing with all of their heart and soul (and talent) isn’t enough to make a living. Showing them our support, coming out and enjoying their talent is so important! Jerusalem holds many cultural events that provide us with entertainment while giving local actors and musicians more opportunities to earn in their field. This is just one example, and I’d like to see double the number of participants come out just for their sake….. as long as none of them take my spot.

Geva Alon

An internationally successful and brilliant musician, you could easily pay double the ticket price just to hear Geva. Only with crowded seats and a need for binoculars. If you haven’t heard him yet, this relaxed and intimate setting is the best chance, hippie or not. From what I understand he loves to play music festivals, so I assume we are going to get him at his best. You can check out this sample of Geva covering Neil Young’s My My Hey Hey.

“Peace, Brothers and Sisters.”

Last summer was a rough one here, for all of us. Kidnapping, boys torn from us, and war. Hippie or no, I can’t wait to celebrate the relative quiet and some peace and brotherhood for a few minutes. In the days following Tisha B’av, unless we are blessed with Moshiach’s arrival by then, we can use a feel-good, peaceful day of relaxation and harmony (pun intended) more than ever.

So take some time for yourself and your kids. Support local talent. Find a good picnic spot, unearth that tie dye shirt you never wear and maybe even paint your face. It’s all part of the fun.

And find me there and say hi; that is if you can recognize me, relaxed and away from my work for a happy change.

You can get more information at http://www.woodstockrevival.com/, or purchase tickets at goshow. And you can definitely tell them I sent you.