NYC Jewish-y Events, August 23 – September 1

Editors Picks: 

MAMES BABEGENUSH
Nordic klez? “From the ambiance of Nordic pine trees to lively weddings in Romania,” says the advance billing from this Danish band. And why not? If klezmer can mix with bluegrass and free jazz, bring on some klezmorim from Copenhagen. A quick listen to the group’s tune “Moldavian Trainspotting,” with a four-person string section, has flugelhornist Lukas Rande doing a klez Chet Baker on top of a sexy medium tempo before a rollicking, madcap groove sets in. A rare New York appearance. With Slavic Soul Party. — Tuesday, Aug. 27., 6:30 p.m., Mercury Lounge, 217 E. Houston St., mercuryeastpresents.com. $20-$25.

THE GREATEST YIDDISH WRITER YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF
Jacob Dinezon was one of the most successful Yiddish writers of the late-1800s. Friend and adviser to almost every major Jewish writer of his day, Dinezon played a central role in Warsaw’s Yiddish literary circle until his death in 1919. His heartrending works portrayed difficult issues confronting Jewish communities in the Russian Empire: arranged marriages, rigid gender roles, corporal punishment and assimilation. But by the turn of the 21st century, he was all but forgotten. In this presentation, Scott Hilton Davis, an Emmy-winning filmmaker and author, shares his 16-year journey to uncover facts about Dinezon’s life and restore his place in the Yiddish canon.— Tuesday, Sept. 3, 7 p.m., YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, 15 W. 16th St., yivo.org/dinezon.

HEADING HOME: THE TALE OF TEAM ISRAEL

Baseball’s pastoralism doesn’t translate so well in Israel, yet the underdog journey of Israel’s national baseball team competing for the first time in the World Baseball Classic touched a nerve. The 2017 Team Israel included several Jewish-American big leaguers: former Met Ike Davis, Josh Zeid and Ryan Lavarnway; most had a tenuous relationship to Judaism, and none had ever set foot in Israel. “Heading Home” documents their odyssey from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where they are greeted as heroes, to Seoul. With the Mensch on the Bench mascot by their side, the team laughs, cries and does much soul-searching, discovering the pride of representing Israel on the world stage. — Opening Friday, Sept. 6, The Quad Cinema, 34 W. 13th St., (212) 255-2243, quadcinema.com.

Theater

TWO’S A CROWD

Forced together by a computer error, freewheeling Tom and uptight Wendy do their best to ruin each other’s vacations, but the bright lights of Vegas may still work their magic. This new musical comedy stars Broadway and comedy icon Rita Rudner, Kelly Holden Bashar, Brian Lohmann and Robert Yacko. — Through Sunday, Aug. 25, 59E59 Theaters, 59 E. 59th St., (646) 892-7999, 59e59.org.

THE LAST JEW OF BOYLE HEIGHTS
Set in the industrial east side of Los Angeles, in what was once a heavily Jewish area, three Holocaust survivors meet on a factory floor amid talk of deportations, poor wages and fading memories. Written and directed by Steve Greenstein (“Voices From the Holy and Not So Holy”). — Extended Through August, Sundays at 7:30 p.m., Actors’ Temple Theatre, 339 W. 47th St., actorstempletheatre.com.

YIDDISH FIDDLER

“Fiddler on the Roof” (A Fidler Afn Kakh) in Yiddish continues its Off-Broadway run. Directed by the acclaimed Joel Grey, a rich Yiddish translation by the late Shraga Friedman adds new depth to the iconic musical. With English and Russian supertitles. — Stage 42, 422 W. 42nd St., (212) 239-6200, broadway.com.

Film

FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES

“Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles” is the first in-depth documentary to track the musical’s origin story and reasons for its long-lasting success, revealing why the story of Tevye the milkman is reborn again and again as a global cultural touchstone. Featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sheldon Harnick, Hal Prince, Austin Pendleton, Joanna Merlin, Danny Burstein, Itzhak Perlman, Charles Isherwood, Harvey Fierstein and more. — Opening Friday, Aug. 23, Landmark 57 West, 657 W. 57th St., landmarktheatres.com and Quad Cinema, 34 W. 13th St., quadcinema.com.

Music

ANDY STATMAN WITH BROOKLYN RAGA MASSIVE
Indian classical, Jewish and American roots music collide when klezmer mandolin and clarinet star Andy Statman joins forces with members of Brooklyn Raga Massive. Statman, who has fused klezmer with bluegrass and free jazz, taps into the improvisation and spiritual yearning that animate Indian classical music. — Wednesday, August 28, 7-8:30 p.m., The Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W. 17th St., (212) 620-5000, rubinmuseum.org.

MOSHE VILOZNY
Born in Portland, Ore., and raised in Santa Cruz, Calif., and Israel, Moshe Vilozny sings in English, Spanish and Hebrew, incorporating life experiences into original folk songs steeped in American roots music and sprinkled with influences from his world travels. — Friday, Aug. 23, 7 p.m., Rockwood Music Hall, 196 Allen St., rockwoodmusichall.com.

Talk

STORIES SURVIVE SPEAKER SERIES
Born in The Hague in 1940, Holocaust survivor Eddy Boas was 3 when his family was rounded up and sent to Holland’s Spoor train station. From there, he was loaded into a cattle wagon with his family, deported to Westerbork concentration camp and taken from there to Bergen-Belsen. He’ll share his harrowing life story with the museum audience, in a special visit from Australia.  — Wednesday, Aug. 28, 7 p.m., Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place, mjhnyc.org. Free; advance registration recommended.

THE EICHMANN TRIAL
The 1961 Eichmann trial in Jerusalem put an indelible focus on the Holocaust, not only for those in Israel but for people around the world. Educators Sylvia Solomon and David Wintre discuss the trial, as part of the 92nd Street Y’s “Lunch & Learn: Great Trials That Changed the Course of History.” — Thursday, Aug. 29, noon-2 p.m., 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave., 92y.org.

Exhibitions

THE COLMAR TREASURE: A MEDIEVAL JEWISH LEGACY
A cache of jeweled rings, brooches and coins, hidden in a wall of a house in Colmar, France, tells the story of a Jewish family and community, which were scapegoated and put to death when the plague struck the region, in 1348-49. Now on loan from the Musée de Cluny, Paris, the treasure will be displayed alongside works from The Met Cloisters, underscoring the prominence of the Jewish minority community in the tumultuous 14th century, and the perils it faced. — Through Jan. 12, 2020, The Met Cloisters, Fort Tryon Park, (212) 923-3700, metmuseum.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.