Aharit Hayamim Festival this Sunday!

Diaspora Act to Join Annual Aharit Hayamim Festival
by Benyamin Bresky
(http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/122854)

The Aharit Hayamim Festival, which takes place annually
on a Gush Etzion hilltop, is set to begin July 1 with some surprise
guests from Israel and abroad.

Y-Love and DJ Handler from the United Stated will be dropping by as the
headlining act. Y-Love, whose real name is Yitz Jordan is a convert to
Judaism and a student of the Bostoner Rebbe. He and DJ Handler have
released an album of Jewish-themed rap and hip-hop.

This year Y-Love has released an all acapella hip-hop album for the
Sefirat HaOmer period with Israeli-American beat boxer Yuri Lane. The
beats on the album are all vocals Lane does with his mouth. Because the
album has no instruments, it is permissible to enjoy during the Sefirat
HaOmer period between Passover and Shavuot, in which many have the
custom of not listening to music. The lyrics of the album are Passover
themed.

Also at the Aharit Hayamim festival will be Roi Levi and Gilad Shimon,
two members of popular rock/world music band Shotei HaNevua who,
although not religious or residents of Judea and Samaria, fit with
Aharit Hayamim's musical cocktail of reggae, Carlebach and middle
eastern influences.

Also at the festival will be veteran participants and friends: Aaron
Razel, who has just released a new album, and Sinai Tor, whose long,
flowing peyot (sidelocks), white shepherd’s clothing and acoustic style
promises to inspire, as usual.

Eight years ago, the Aharit Hayamim festival began as a tribute to Emil
Leuchter, an American-born musician who moved to Israel and played with
Shlomo Carlebach and many associated bands. When he passed away from
cancer, his family held a jam session in his memory. Today the jam
session is a full blown festival lasting well past midnight with stands
selling brightly colored homemade clothing, chai tea, organic goodies,
Judaica carved from local olive wood and more.

The festival shares its name with the band started by Leuchter's son
Yehuda, which has a following throughout the country gained from years
as a wedding band - one of the only to perform mostly original
compositions.

There will be a tent set up for yeshiva learning and, for those who
feel more comfortable with it, separate seating and dancing for men and
woman. The festival is located at the old Masuot Yitzhak kibbutz, where
the Leuchter grandparents lived before it was destroyed in 1948 by the
Jordanians. The grandparents were taken captive and, even after gaining
their freedom, could not return home during the 19 years of Jordanian
occupation until Israel won back Gush Etzion in the 1967 Six Day War.
Massuot Yitzchak now remains a park and nature reserve, the family now
lives nearby in a nearby Gush Etzion town.

According to Aharit HaYamim's web site, "The festival is a unique
spiritual gathering of musicians and artists from all Israeli sectors
and Diaspora, and gives a stage for young artists." It also is a
meeting point between the hilltop communities of Judea and Samaria and
Israelis returning from post-army service trips abroad, whose paths
seldom cross politically, but enjoy much of the same music and culture.

Rabbi Michi Yosefi, who founded the concept of the Bayit Yehudi (Jewish
House) in India, will be giving classes and workshops at the festival
as well. Yosefi’s model was replicated throughout India, providing a
place for Israeli hikers to spend the Sabbath, find kosher food, mingle
with other Israelis and learn about Judaism and Jewish prayer outside
of the traditional institutions they may not have felt comfortable
setting foot in back home.

For more information visit http://www.aharit.net/
The Festival will take place in Old Masuot Yitzhak (Bat-Ayin forest) on
Sunday, July 1, 2007

In order to cover expenses, the symbolic fee for the non-profit event
is:
In advance: 40 shekels At the gate: 50 shekels Children up to age 10: free
For purchasing tickets: Yativ Leuchter – 054-241-5707
Transportation: Egged 161, 164 from Jerusalem Central Bus station

Benyamin Bresky is host of The Beat on Israel National Radio and a
frequent contributor of articles on the latest in Jewish music. He
maintains a blog at israelbeat.blogspot.com. Ezra HaLevi contributed to
this article.

Click here for a past article about Aharit HaYamim and the annual festival.