NYC Jewish-y Events, August 2 – August 13

Editor’s Picks: 

ISAAC MIZRAHI: MODERATE TO SEVERE
Isaac Mizrahi has been a leader in the fashion industry for almost 30 years, but his fame comes from his uniquely successful crossover into pop culture. His credentials run long: Along with designing clothing for the luxury and mass markets, he’s both subject and co-creator of “Unzipped,” an award-winning documentary following the making of one of his collections and a weekly judge on the TV show “Project Runway,” and a best-selling author three times over. For his newest enterprise, The New York Times hailed Mizrahi as “a founding father of a genre that fuses performance art, music and stand-up comedy.” Joined by his band of jazz musicians, Mizrahi will tell ribald stories and perform classics by Charles Aznavour, Blondie and Cole Porter. — Friday, Aug. 10, 8 p.m., City Winery, 155 Varick St., (212) 608-0555, citywinery.com.

YEMEN BLUES

Led by the eclectic Israeli frontman Ravid Kahalani, the driving music of Yemen Blues transplants traditional Yemenite prayers and melodies into the world of funk, soul, blues and jazz. The group’s new reissue of its 2003 album, “Insaniya” (Humanity), a collaboration with noted musical producer Bill Laswell, features the intense vocals of Saharan singer Mariem Hassan, Israeli-Yemenite star Tziyon Golan and French rapper Oxmo Puccino, all of whom combine lyrics in Arabic, French and English. Downbeat Magazine called the album “An intense and moving journey.” — Tuesday, Aug. 7, 6 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show, Brooklyn Bowl, 61 Wythe Ave., Brooklyn, (718) 963-3369, , brooklynbowl.com

TAMUZ NISSIM

Whether scatting over a Dizzy Gillespie tune (“Groovin’ High”) with the great bassist Harvey Swartz, now simply Harvey S.) or playing “originals that are so smart they can bend light” (All About Jazz), Israeli-born vocalist and composer Tamuz Nissim has plenty of chops and plenty of range. She relocated here from Tel Aviv in 2015 and has teamed up with some stellar musicians. Her new recording, “Echo of a Heartbeat” (Street of Stars), features Swartz, pianist James Weidman and guitarist George Nazos. It’s a heady mix of swing and sultry. — Saturday, Aug.12, 6 p.m., Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia St., (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com. $10 cover plus $10 minimum.

Theater

MY LIFE ON A DIET
Renée Taylor, the Emmy-winning writer and actress best known for her role as Fran Fine’s (“The Nanny”) food-obsessed mother, tells about her highs and lows, both in life and on the scale, as well as weight-loss tips from Hollywood legends. — Through Sunday, Aug. 19, Theatre at St. Clement’s, 423 W. 46th St., (212) 239-6200, MyLifeOnADietPlay.com.

TEVYE SERVED RAW
Find out what happens to the beloved characters in “Fiddler on the Roof” after the musical ends. Includes adaptations of creator Sholem Aleichem’s Tevye stories, scenes from his long-unseen Yiddish stage version and three of his newly adapted stories. — Through Aug. 14, Playroom Theatre, 151 W. 46th St., (800) 838-3006, tevyeservedraw.com.

FIDDLER IN YIDDISH
Directed by Oscar- and Tony Award-winner Joel Grey, a rich Yiddish translation by the late Shraga Friedman adds new depth and dimension to the iconic musical, and it has gotten raves. Presented by National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene. — Through Sept. 2, Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place, (866) 811-4111, mjhnyc.org.

VITALY: AN EVENING OF WONDERS

Israel-raised magician Vitaly Beckman has wowed audiences with innovative illusions, and he is now making his NYC debut. Recommended for ages 8 and up. — Through Sept. 30, Westside Theatre, 407 W. 43rd St. (9th-10th avenues), telecharge.com. $89.

Film

HEADING HOME: THE TALE OF TEAM ISRAEL

A story of sports, patriotism and personal growth, director Seth Kramer’s documentary charts the underdog journey of Israel’s national baseball team as it competes for the first time in the World Baseball Classic. — Sunday-Tuesday, Aug. 5-7, Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave., (646) 505-4444, jccmanhattan.org.

DANCING IN JAFFA

This 2013 documentary follows Pierre Dulaine, an internationally renowned ballroom dancer, as he returns to his birthplace, Jaffa, to fulfill his lifelong dream of teaching Jewish and Palestinian-Israeli children to dance together. — Wednesday, Aug. 8, 6:30 p.m., Temple Shaaray Tefila, 250 E. 79th St., (212) 535-8008, shaaraytefilanyc.org/FilmSeries.

Music

ISRAELI JAZZ SPOTLIGHT
Hosted by Israeli-American jazz guitarist Nadav Remez, Cornelia’s monthly gig morphs into a three-night mini-festival featuring six genre-benders. Pianist Eitan Kenner and his quartet play tunes from his upcoming debut album, “8ball City” (Thursday, Aug. 2, 8 p.m.); vocalist Gaya Feldheim Schorr, who blends standards, classical and Israeli folk, brings a septet (Thursday, Aug. 2, 9:30 p.m.); guitarist Or Bareket and his trio tilt jazz toward the Mediterranean and North Africa (Friday, Aug. 3, 8:30 p.m.); guitarist Nadav Remez brings a little alt-rock into his Organ Trio (Friday, Aug. 3, 10 p.m.); flutist Itai Kriss’ Televana mixes timba, soul, North African and Israeli music (Saturday, Aug. 4, 8:30 p.m.); and flutist Hadar Noiberg, with guitarist Cesar Garabini, play originals and new arrangements of Brazilian choro and samba tunes. (Saturday, Aug. 4, 10:30 p.m.) — Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 2-4, Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia St., (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com. $10 cover, $10 minimum. 

TAVCHE GRAVCHE

Tavče gravče is a traditional Macedonian dish of baked beans. It’s also a multinational Balkan, flamenco and jazz-infused acoustic ensemble that blends traditional Macedonian and Mediterranean flavors with explosive, dance-able Balkan music. Founded and led by Israeli jazz bassist Daniel Ori.— Wednesday, Aug. 8, 7 p.m., Museum at Eldridge Street, 12 Eldridge St., (212) 219-0302, eldridgestreet.org.

MITZVAH TANTZ
This acoustic quartet explores the uplifting sounds of chasidic nigunim and klezmer. Led by Binyomin Ginzberg on vibrandoneon (a mouth-blown variation of the Argentinian bandoneon) and melodeon. — Sunday, Aug. 5, 12:30 p.m., City Winery, 155 Varick St., (212) 608- 0555, citywinery.com. $10.

MICHAEL ATTIAS
“Like a high-quality electronic product manufactured by the Panasonic Corporation, the career of alto saxophonist Michaël Attias has always involved being slightly ahead of his time,” writes JazzWord’s Ken Waxman. The avant-garde Israeli-American saxophonist/composer/bandleader will be in residency at The Stone through Saturday, Aug. 4. — The Stone at the New School, 55 W. 13th St., thestonenyc.com.

NOAM WIESENBERG QUARTET
Israeli-American bassist-composer Noam Wiesenberg performs originals from his debut album, “Roads Diverge.” “His upright bass holds down the desirable amount of esprit to make each listening experience a gratifying, fun ride” (JazzTrail). — Monday, Aug. 13, 8 and 9:30 p.m., Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia St., (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com.

AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH MATISYAHU

Nearly 13 years after his debut studio record, Matisyahu and his band have crafted his dramatic spiritual saga into a thematic eight-song suite, “Undercurrent.” — Wednesday, Aug. 8, 6 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. concert, City Winery, 155 Varick St., (212) 608-0555, citywinery.com. Sold out but there are spots on the waiting list.

Exhibitions

CHAIM SOUTINE: FLESH
This exhibition features more than 30 paintings of Chaim Soutine depicting hanging fowl, beef carcasses and rayfish. Considered one of the 20th century’s great still-life painters, Soutine created visceral, expressionist paintings of tortured animal carcasses, establishing a parallel between the animal and human, beauty and pain. The New Yorker hailed the exhibition as “potent … timely … elegantly curated.” — Through Sept. 16, Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave. (at 92nd Street), (212) 423-3200, thejm.org.

To publish events, submit them to jewishweekcalendar@gmail.com two weeks or more in advance. We cannot guarantee inclusion due to space limitations. Since scheduling changes may occur, we recommend contacting the venue before heading out to an event.