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Thursday, July 21, 2016

Two TV Sets, Two Cadillac cars, and 3 Yahrtzeits

Earlier this summer, Jewish memorial kaddish services were said at the scene of Phish shows in Philadelphia and Saratoga Springs.  Where else but at Phish, which attracts close, kind and family-like community does this happen?  Perhaps at other jamband shows, but it's not likely at Barbara Streisand, Beyonce or Billy Joel concerts.   Phish really is its own (AC/DC) bag.




Each of these prayer services honored the memories of the recently departed, and that they happened at Phish speaks to the energy and spirit which penetrates this community.  Two degrees of separation seems alive and well; at Phish its a small world, and it's moving real fast.  There is a small percentage of Phish fans who are observant Jews but for the most part it is a secular audience of diverse religious backgrounds where the expression "shows are my church" is frequently heard.  Successfully gathering a quorum of Phish fans at a show for *anything* outside of a tasty jam is something to write home about.

This blog entry serves to offer respect to each of the individuals memorialized.  These kaddish prayers this summer helped phans to go backwards down the number line and honor the memory of those no longer with us.  A Jewish prayer service stated at a secular rock & roll show more than one time is unlikely and simultaneously hard to ignore.  Something is happening here but you don't know what it is, do you, Mr. Anastasio?

6/29/16 Mann Music Center, Philadelphia, PA

quorum of 10 gathers close to 5:55pm for a Jewish prayer service to honor the dearly departed before a Phish show


On lot, during pre-show tailgating that is part and parcel of a summer Phish show, a tall gentleman wearing a 13-point lightening bolt baseball cap approached the Whole Phamily-Jam Shalom tent and asked if we could get a minyan (quorum of 10 people) together to say kaddish for his father.  We stated our goal was for a 5:55 pm gathering.  At about 6:15pm, with a lot of work to gather people to participate, since it's hard to get Phish fans to stay put, a service began.



We didn't find out about his father, but we are sure his neshama had an aliyah (his soul rose to greater heights).


7/3/16 Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY

Set Break 

Our dear friend Noah Lehrman organized  a set-break kaddish, Page-side, for his recently departed uncle Sol Frieder.  



 

Until his death, Sol was the oldest living actor in the Screen Actor's Guild and held roles in films by Woody Allen and with such actors as Sam Waterston.  He was as old school as It gets and had a family that loved him dearly. 




 
After the Show, in the Pavillion section in front of the light board; Page Side. 
Michelle Rein.




 
friends purple budda, gathering together in a huddle with dear friends and friends of friends to remember Michelle Rein, of blessed memory.  Her holy soul was brought down as her sister Stefanie led the group of 10 Jews in the Hebrew prayer to remember her.  She shared some memories of her sister:  that she was a scholar of Islamic Art, that she saved the life of her dog, and that this dog ended up saving the life of another friend  This was at the end of an amazing show that encored with "Rock & Roll" which Trey and Page left everyone on a huge high, so it's my hope that Michelle picked up on this great energy in a venue that was only a handful of miles from where she journeyed on to her next stop of her own adventure.

The Dude of Life was a part







We joined forces with so many, including Josh Fleet, the creator of the Phish Talmud and writer of an important piece in the Huffington Post about Phish and Judaism.