Klezmer 2011
15, 16, 17 August 2011
24th Klezmer Festival
Safed's popular yearly Klezmer Festival event will take place Monday through Wednesday 15th - 17th August 2011. This year is the 24th Klezmer Festival and, like last year, the music is returning to its original klezmer roots. It has turned away from the more Jewish style rock music from bands like Reva le Sheva who have appeared at previous festivals.
In the Hebrew calendar Monday 15th August is also Tu'b'Av, the 15th of Av, which is considered to be a day of love. It is also a day people like to propose or get married. Klezmer music was traditionally played at weddings, so expect to hear a lot of wedding style music from the many bands playing in the Festival.
Check out our page listing the full 2011 Klezmer Festival Performance Schedule and Festival Details.
Tu B'Av Legends
Tu B' Av was the beginning of the grape harvest. In times past, especially when the Temple still stood, young unmarried girls would dress in white and go and dance in the fields and vineyards. Young men would watch to see which of the dancers they wanted as their bride. It was also a day of reconciliation among the tribes as on that day the tribe of Benjamin was allowed to marry into the other tribes of Israel. Tu' b' Av was considered one of the happiest days of the Jewish calendar year so it is very appropriate that this year's Klezmer Festival will be start on Tu' b' Av.
Ma'ayan HaRadum Square
This open-air auditorium is one of the main venues and was specifically redesigned for the Klezmer festival so that everyone will not only hear well but will see well too. It usually hosts the most popular bands so it's important to get there early if you want to get a seat, otherwise you may have to stand up and dance!
During the rest of the year, this square is used regularly for summer street fairs like the Shuk HaShishi on the last Friday of every month, which is organized jointly by the Khan of the White Donkey and the Center for Healthy Living.
The Shuk
The exact place of the shuk varies from year to year, depending on how many traders want stalls so in some years the shuk stretches all over the town . Being able to wander around all the festival booths and stalls until late at night is one of the great pleasures of the Festival. The midrahov is often busier at 2 in the morning than it is on a regular day the rest of the year! Stallholders sell anything from hammocks to perfume and it is sometimes very difficult to get through the crowds. However, last year there were actually less people than usual so it was very pleasant to wander around.
Food
There is a wide choice of food stalls too, and last year I tried Thai food one night from a food booth by the Yigal Allon Theater. Another night my husband and I had our annual Klezmer treat, steak and chips 'a la esh' or on the grill, at Rafi's, one of our favorite local shwarma places close to the bridge. Not all the food stalls have kosher certificates or local supervision-so check first if this is important for you.
Book Accommodation
If you want to be sure of a place to stay during the Klezmer festival, book early as zimmers and hotels get filled up fast.
