BIMAS Klezmer Band

BIMAS, the Beth Israel Music Appreciation Society, is the congregation's principal outlet for instrumental music performance by its members. They regularly play at B'nai Mitzvah and other worship services at Beth Israel and occasionally perform in other private and public local venues. 

BIMAS's repertoire centers on klezmer music, songs based in the Ashkenazic (Eastern European) tradition, but influenced by a diverse set of other cultural streams (Slavic, Greek, Ottoman (Turkish), and Roma, to name just a few). They also perform music set to modern Israeli melodies, and melodies from the liturgy. The music covers a broad emotional range, "from joy to despair, from devotion to revolt, and from meditation to drunkenness, without forgetting Jewish humor and ... love," in the words of Michel Borzykowski. See http://borzykowski.users.ch/EnglMCKlezmer.htm, for much more about klezmer music.

The BIMAS musicians consider it a privilege to learn and perform this music. BIMAS welcomes good musicians who want to participate in congregational life through the medium of wonderful music deeply associated with Jewish tradition. BIMAS' ongoing study with professional teacher/performers is supported by donations which allow for further training in our art.

Listen to the BIMAS
Fun Tashlich
Turkisher