Real Concert this time (plus other updates)

The previous post was NOT a preview for this one.

I actually did go to a real concert last night with Avishai--one of the other interns--and Leeron, a friend from high school who's at Yale and in Israel visiting family for a few weeks.

The concert was a benefit concert for a youth group called Knafayim shel Krembo, one of Israel's newest youth groups (everyone in Israel is in a youth group), which is an integrated youth group for kids with disabilities and those without. It's a really great organization. Here's a link to their facebook page and some pictures from the concert. 

The cool bandshell in Ra'anana's ampitheater. There were 8 bands there, each of which played three songs. Between the songs they would screen short videos (campaign-commercial style) about Knafayim shel Krembo. One of a "regular" girl who is a volunteer counselor, one of May Ofir, a girl with a severely twisted spine who is a "camper" (?) and one of a mother of a severely disabled child who is a camper as well. They were really beautiful videos. That's not one of the ones that was shown, but it'll give you an idea.  There were a lot of people in the audience who had tears in their eyes.  And there were 8000 people there!

Hadag Nachash was on first, then a band called HaPil HaKachol that my friend Eitan introduced me to at the Mechina (the song that's linked is one of the most beautiful songs ever written) came on. After that I can't remember the order. I think next was Mosh Ben Ari--I can't remember what songs he played (oops), but this is one of his more famous ones. Ivri Lider was a crowd-pleaser (attested to by the girls standing behind us who kept shouting--to the openly gay Lider--"Ivri, have my babies!"). Efrat Gosh was a little too pop-y/Lilly Allen-y for my taste (and maybe drunk onstage?). I'd never heard of Assaf Amdorsky before, and he seems to be less well-known than the others (also his songs were slower). One of the researchers at Shalem had told me a lot about Shlomi Shavan, so I was pretty psyched for him. Although his solo piano-ing didn't really fit the mood of the rest of the concert, it was incredible! This video doesn't really do it justice, but the ones I shot would take too long to upload. Also, apparently Shavan is the guy who plays for Ernie's song in the Israeli version of Sesame Street! Finally was Mercedes Bend (yes) who was...well, awful--I couldn't find a clip that was as fake-metal-y as he was there, but trust me.

Just liked this one :)

Not from the concert. Just funny. July 4: Canada Day? This is near the street that leads into Mea Shearim, one of the most religious neighborhoods in Jerusalem, if not in Israel. I went with Leah and our friend Sara. Yes, I dressed according to their standards--and the second we left I changed, because it was shmoiling out! But I need to head back, because there's a very cool wood shop there...

Friday was also Princeton-in-Jerusalem get-together day (plus Sam). We met at Cafe Hillel, which is coincidentally where Avital organized the Princeton-gap-year-in-Israel get-together the year I was here. This is the "silly shot", although apparently me, Sam, Olaf, and Morris (although Momo's might not be intentional?) got the memo. Also, it was funny seeing Kate and Rebecca here, as the last time I saw them they were crashed in my room at the beginning of their cross-country road trip. Kate, let's go hiking!

The liquor store across the street from the shuk (open-air market where we do all our fruit/vegetable/other shopping). So many colors of wines!

Friday night I went to the Carlebach minyan at Yakar, which unfortunately starts late enough that I couldn't stay for the whole thing. But it was beautiful! And I ran into Temima (who I haven't seen since they moved to Israel about 10 years ago...). We (Sam, Joel and I) had dinner at Adj's with his family, and two of his high-school friends (one of whom is, coincidentally, good friends with Galya!) and then today I went to Shira Chadasha in the morning and to Anna&Michael and co.'s for lunch. mmmm. Scrabble, too!