Jerry in Jerusalem - "The Rebbes of Rock"

Deadheads United at Jerusalem's Yellow Submarine on August 11th for a night of Grateful Dead music celebrating the 12th Yartzeit of Jerry Garcia. Spearheaded by N Safeq frontman and former Carlebach session artist Aryeh Naftaly, the All-Star Israeli musical lineup included Reva L'Sheva's Hanan Elias, Danny Roth and special guest guitar jammer Yehuda Katz; Duvid Swirsky of the Moshav Band, and Yood's Elizer "Lazer Lloyd" Blumen.

Edem MiQuedem's Shmuel Nelson was also scheduled to appear but couldn't make it because his wife was giving birth to their child. Mazel Tov!

The band opened with Sugaree, then played One More Saturday Night, followed by an ironic Friend of the Devil, and Deal. The room became electric with "One Way or the Other," the lyrics "One way or another / this darkness got to give" took on a special meaning here in Jerusalem that it never had in the United States, even in the dark Nixonian era of the early '70's.

The evening also treated the lucky listeners to Samson & Delilah (a paean to the local homeboy!) went into a Franklin's Tower / Space jam. The night also included U.S. Blues, Ship of Fools, Eyes of the World, as well as a somewhat out-of-place Casey Jones and a sweetly poignant Ripple.

Crowd reaction ranged from estactic to blissful. Original Deadheads (who have actually seen Jerry) and the next generation who've inherited the love of the music experienced nostalgia and an overwhelming sense that we (read: Jerusalemites, Israelis and Anglo Transplants) NEED some of the old spirit of those days - even though it has been "a long strange trip," indeed we know now, more than ever, that WE NEED A MIRACLE EVERY DAY.