Simply Tsfat: Hitting all the right notes

By Matthew J. Silver

To Jews, there’s only one possible thing, one word, that can stop an energetic and enthralling musical performance like the one delivered by Simply Tsfat at Hasten Hebrew Academy March 8: food. And in the next room.

This Breslev Chasidic trio from Tsfat in northern Israel had them dancing in the aisles for much of the evening, and by the final fast-stepping piece, the aisles were clogged with dancers… and Tsfat kept playing, for at least 15 or 20 minutes more. Their traditional music, inspired by the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslev, often had a contemporary flair, as the ‘ya-ya-da-da da-dye-dye-da dye’ Chasidic “scat” weaved in and out of their tunes.

A beautifully melodic instrumental might start slow, and build to a fever pitch, with Yonatan Tzarum’s picking hand becoming a flashing-finger yet accurate blur, up and down the guitar neck, keeping the same melody line, and then slowing back down to a denouement. A rousing dance tune may suddenly transition into a love ballad with the same theme running through it. These guys are pros.

Yehonason Lipshutz, the classically trained violinist, and Elyahu Reiter, the lead singer/acoustic guitarist, are originally both from New York, and made aliyah. Born in Rehovot, Tzarum’s father was a professional Flamenco guitarist in Israel.

Their performance was laced with enjoyable patter – “New York, the other home of the Jews” – as they joked with each other and told some wonderful stories, with occasional musical emphasis, always noting the importance of hope. Their schmoozing and playfulness was charming, their musicianship superb. They played in the underground bunkers during the fighting with Lebanon in 2006, as well as for the troops themselves.

Lipshutz related how he relinquished playing the violin after 17 years when he and his wife made aliyah – “$50 a week my father paid, for 17 years – I should throw this away?” For Rosh Hashanah one year, he joined the spiritual pilgrimage to the city of Uman in Ukraine where Rebbe Nachman is buried. One magical midnight, in the public square, he bought a violin for $10, took it back to Israel, and joined Reiter and Tzarum.

“We love playing the smaller cities,” said Lipshutz. “In New York and Los Angeles, there is so much going on we get lost in the shuffle. Smaller audiences are more responsive, and the people are warmer….and instead of an expensive hotel room, we stay in peoples’ homes. But everywhere we go, people are thirsting for this music.” They had just come from Passaic, N.J., Miami, and St. Louis, and were heading to Columbus, Ohio.

Event coordinator Ellen Shevitz said, “It was a remarkable evening at the Hasten Hebrew Academy. People were getting a taste of Israel, and connecting to Israel through music.”

Their message is the joy that music and dancing bring, and that we need to believe in our nation, our community, ourselves – there is always hope, as echoed in the title of one of their albums, “Never Give Up.” As it says on their website, “If you’re looking to connect with your past, to help you live now and tomorrow, join us and the thousands whom we have touched…..and have touched us!”

Visit their website at www.simplytsfat.com.

Matthew Silver is a freelance writer and musician living in Indianapolis.

Updated 3/25/08