It's Thursday - Yom Chamishi --> Yom Shishi -- Shabbos is Coming!

Yes, Shabbos is Coming! Tonight, starting at 8:30 PM -- right after our Rebbe Nachman Shiur with R' Ozer Bergman, Steve will start "Cooking for Shabbos."
As Lorelai would say, today is the last Thursday in 2010. I guess that makes it as good a time as any to review some of the new music of 2010 that has crossed our doorway this past year. There has been so much good music this past year, I'm sure you will want to review it along with us.
Now, if that wasn't enough to take note of, here's one more important note:
Tonight between 10:00 PM and 11:00 PM we will be giving away a pair of tickets to the Yehuda Katz concert at the Yellow Submarine, Saturday night 1/1/11 at 10PM.
Stay tuned to hear how to win!
C Ya on the Radio!

Yehuda Katz Live Today at 3pm!

WOW are we lucky! Last week we interviewed Jack Casady and hung out with Jack and Jorma. This week YEHUDA KATZ joins us LIVE in-studio (3pm Jerusalem Time today!) to share with us about his new solo album "Not Without You."

Yehuda will be performing this Saturday night (Moetzi Shabbos) at Jerusalem's Yellow Submarine ... but first he's coming to Undisclosed Studio B which is being prepped for his arrival even as we type this post!

Tuesdays are truly a gevalt anyway - we have Maya in the Morning from 9 - 11 today (wonder if she still has an Eddie Vedder hangover from last week?) and tonight at 7pm we'll have the year-end (2010, that is) edition of THE HOMEGROWN HOUR. Yes, there's still time to send us your Homegrown MP3 files - email us at radiofreenachlaot@gmail.com - we want to hear your music!

Yallah, Tuesday!

Witch Hunt? Wizard or Wicked?

Sometimes when things get scary out there, we go looking for things to be scared of right in our own backyard ... somehow, going on a "witch hunt" satisfies our need to assign blame in circumstances beyond our understanding or control.

Witness, for instance, the recent spate of "witch hunts" in the rural areas of Cholera-infested Haiti, where local villagers hunted down and killed suspected "witches" in an attempt to stop the disease of Cholera which was devastating their villages. Never mind that the people that they killed were the very same "witches" (read: folk healers and indigenous homeopaths) they would have visited for any of a hundred common health ailments under normal conditions.

Witness as well the irrational rage of the International community against Israel, a country that has produced nothing but blessings of prosperity, technological and medical advancements, life-saving devices and wonders benefiting all of humanity. And yet because the world system they themselves invented and control is spinning out of control, they're on a witch hunt ... and guess where the hunting ground is, folks? Yep, right here in the Heart of the Holy Land.

So ... what can you do when illiterate, uneducated villagers are rampaging - or literate suburbanites raging? You can turn all of that off ... and turn on Radio Free Nachlaot's "Not For Drag Queens Only Show Tunes Show" tonight at 8pm Jerusalem Time - we'll be playing the soundtrack from The Wizard of Oz, followed immediately by the Broadway cast recording of "Wicked."

Yeah, that's back-to-back witches. Sometimes you've just got to get a broomstick.

It's Sunday - Yom Rishon

I DON'T CARE ABOUT MERCURY RETROGRADE.
All Mercury means to me is an old car!!!!
Maybe we'll even do a set of Mercury songs --
What is this Mercury Retrograde stuff anyway?Dot your T's and Cross your I's -- AIY AIY AIY!Anyway, we will move forward as we move backwards and then hop and skip and even jump sideways, as long as the music continues to propel us to the far regions of our unconcious mind and soul soon our feet will be tapping and our faces will be smiling and we'll be telling all our friends to listen to RADIO FREE NACHLAOT.
Home for all special things. You're special - must be your home too.
Retro Mercury Grade - Come and get us - we're ready for you!!!

Don't forget - Lorelai and Steve - Sunday Night Live - 8 - 11 PM will celebrate the 9th week of Shlomo - we'll review some of our interviews from the past 9 weeks, and then some....
C Ya on the Radio!

Shavua Tov

It's Motzoei Shabbos. The end of Shabbos, the beginning of a new week.
It's also Motzoei Shlomo's birthday - the beginning of the 9th week of Shlomo.
Radio Free Nachlaot, where "Jerry"(Garcia) meets "Shlomo" (Carlebach), always has Shlomo in the mix, but these past 9 weeks have featured some special interviews with people who knew Shlomo up-close, and in person.
Tonight we play (as we always do during our melave malke) his music.
Tomorrow, Sunday Night Live with Steve and Lorelai will feature these interviews as we continue to celebrate Shlomo's life.
btw - don't think that just because the 9 weeks of Shlomo are coming to an end we won't continue celebrating his life. I mean, how can we not???
Shavua Tov to all.

Happy Birthday Jorma and Eddie

Well, we had a chance last night to wish Jorma a Happy Birthday in person, and tonight we'll celebrate Eddie Vedder's birthday with a close to in-person as we can get -- Maya ("in the morning") will be here TONIGHT to teach us about Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder and celebrate his life (Amush) the best way possible.
Music, Talk and the "Torah" of Eddie Vedder Tonight - 10 PM - Midnight --
and then, Cookin' with Steve to take us through to Shabbos
C Ya on the Radio, everybody!!!

SMOKIN' HOT TUNA, ISRAELI STYLE!

GEVALDT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes these ARE pictures of Lorelai with Jorma Kaukonen and Steve with Jack Casady- yes, we've been to Gan Eden tonight - the Hot Tuna concert at Reading 3 in Tel Aviv and friends, it was SMOKIN' HOT in every way! We celebrated Jorma's 70th birthday (Israelis singing "Yom Huledet Sameach" and Anglos singing "Happy Birthday") in style: what a TREAT to hear and see a performance that was, literally, THE HIGHEST OF THE HIGH ... we'll be sharing more in days to come but tonight all we can say is: GEVALDT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We saw Hot Tuna in Tel Aviv! Does it get any better? !!!!
By the way - the group picture here is courtesy of Daniel Pozner (Imaging-A-Nation Daniel Pozner (c) 2010) and features - left to right - Jorma Kaukonen, Steve Levine, Jack Casady, Lorelai Kude, Maya Yakabov and Sarah Pozner.

Today is the Day!!!

Happy Hot Tuna Wednesday everybody!!!

Today we load up the Radio Free Nachlaot Magic Bus and head off to Reading 3 in Tel Aviv to meet, greet, "put faces to the voices" and enjoy some HOT TUNA!!!!!

...and while we (and hopefully all of you) are at the concert, we will continue to play HOT TUNA / JEFFERSON AIRPLANE music (as well as everything else San Fransisco and beyond) all day and all night long....

The Tuna plane has landed and we are so excited -- aren't you???

Mazal Tov to last night's ticket winner -- Daniel Pozner from Tzfat....

Mazal Tov to his daughter who will celebrate her Chai (18th) birthday a few days early at the show....

Mazal Tov to all of us --- we've made it this far.... long may we run!!!!!

C Ya on the Radio!!!!!

This Tuesday Night is Special!

Not only is today the shortest day in the year, but it also is the "night begins the day" with a total eclipse of the mooon. How cool is that?
Short days, lots of darkness, no moon /full moon .....
but don't worry, cause there's a lot of light coming out of Jerusalem right through your speakers into where ever you are -- and where's all that light coming from? Well, your favorite Internet Radio Station, of course!!!!
Radio Free Nachlaot - Your home for "Music, Torah, Talk," light, energy and "feel good" vibes. But, ok, that's every day and night on Radio Free Nachlaot. What makes tonight different from any other night?
Tonight, between 10PM and Midnight we will put the spotlight on Hot Tuna and The Jefferson Airplane as Hot Tuna pulls into town for one show 12/22 at Reading 3 in Tel Aviv.
...and not only are we going to play J/A and H/T music for you, we will also feature our interview with Jack Casady, and if that's not enough, we will also give away 2 tickets to tomorrow's show, to boot! How to win those tickets? you gotta be listening, now, don't you?!!!!
C Ya on the Radio, and at the show!!!!

...and for all of you that are interested, there are more pictures, just like this one, from our friend Daniel's "vault." Want to get more? just dial the number....and tell him Radio Free Nachlaot sent you!

Oh Nooooooo, it's Mr. Hand!

Sometimes life can feel like the Mr. Bill Show. You're going about your business and a cosmic eruption - the veritable "Mr. Hand" swoops in from above, and what happens next is anyone's guess.
Cosmic eruptions - a Lunar Eclipse closely followed by the Winter Solstace, followed closely thereafter by a Sun/Pluto conjunction. It's happening all around us - inside us as well as outside.
Best solution: Stay in bed, and listen to Radio Free Nachlaot. We'll keep you company during all of the slightly scary times, and we'll keep the music, talk & Torah pointed in a direction guaranteed NOT to traumatize ... unless of course you consider DJ Maya's upcoming Eddie Vedder Birthday Special traumatic!

Monday 20 December 2010
All times are JERUSALEM Times!

Midnight - 4am Jerusalem Time: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's 25th Anniversary Concert -
4am Peter Gabriel's "The Long Walk Home, "
5am Kaballah Dream Orchestra until dawn ...
5:30 - Bela Fleck
6:45am - Tom Rush
7:15am - Coldplay
8:15am - Rebbe Nachman's Tikkun HaKlali
9am - Calexico "Tool Box"
9:30am - Lorelai's Morning Dew for the Morning Jew Musical Cholent Mix
11am - Benzion Eliyahu Lehrer & Lorelai Kude "The Returning Light: Through the Jewish Year"
1pm -"Israeli Soul Afternoon" music from InLakesh, Soulfarm, Y-Love, Aryeh Kunsler, Matisyahu, Judablue, Yood and Reb Shlomo's 1st Album
Torah from Rabbi Chaim Richman - 1pm, 3pm and 5pm
6pm - "Night Divides The Day: The Music of The Doors" by George Winston
7pm - Bela Fleck's Bluegrass Sessions
8pm - THE NOT FOR DRAG QUEENS ONLY SHOWTUNES SHOW Presents Monty Python's SPAMMALOT
9pm - Ben Bresky's interview with Steve Levine, Lorelai Kude, Maya Yakabov and Benzion Lehrer
9:30pm - Light Unto the Nations
10pm - GRATEFUL DEAD 12-15-72 from LONG BEACH ARENA, LONG BEACH CALIFORNIA!

Shavua Tov - Its' Saturday Night!!!

Shavua Tov Everybody! It's Motzoei Shabbos.
It's Melave Malke.
It's Shlomo.
It's Saturday Night.
Surprised?
On one hand, you shouldn't be, I mean, Baruch Hashem, for over a year this is what we do and where we are on Motzoei Shabbos - playing Shlomo, giving over Divrei Torah, and moving into what we call the "regular music" of Saturday Night.
But i've been thinking, what is regular music, anyway, -- and further, what is Saturday Night?
With the help of G-d, and our ever growing musical library, I think this Motzoei Shabbos we're going to try to figure this out...
Shlomo, regular music, Torah - It's all "regular" here on Radio Free Nachlaot, but you know, regular can be Special, cant' it?
Join us and find out for yourself -- our Regular Special Motzoei Shabbos Saturday Night Musical Extravaganza is coming at you!
I hope you can catch!!!!!
Shavua Tov - Good Week to everyone.

Breaking and Fixing, and Breaking and Fixing again

and again, and again, until we get it right.
We're going to play Breaking and Broken, Fixing and Fixed songs as we dance our way to Shabbos.
Shlomo meets Asarah B'teves meets the world where the Breaking is for the Fixing.
That's right, we're looking for the BIG FIX, and we're going to orchestrate our search this afternoon, after our Not for Kids Only Childrens' Hour -
Songs about Breaking and Broken, Fixing and being fixed --
I bless us all with an easy and meaningful Fast that will lead into a celebratory great Shabbos, and a Hot Coffee in between the Chalah and the Fish for everybody.
Good Shabbos, Good Shabbos

It's Thursday Night, Comin' down upon us.

Happy almost Shabbos, everybody.
Thursday Night - is comin' down HARD upon us? - or is gentle like a summer's breeze....
Well, we have had enough of the this gentle summer breeze stuff -- winter winds where are you?
...while we wait, we might as well enjoy some World Music via Diwan Sez via the Khan of the White Donkey -- 9:00 PM --> until the music stops...(11 'ish?)...
and then Steve will be cookin' for shabbos.
We better cook, and we better eat -- tomorrow we fast.
Good Shabbos, Good Shabbos.

Tuesday --> Wednesday

We had Maya in the Morning
We had Homegrown in the Evening
Well, that was Tuesday.
We have Wednesday ahead of us....
What will the weather bring?
What will the music bring?
Who will bring the music?
Will the music bring the weather?
Wednesday is a W word.
What word are you?

We'll c you on the wadio, won't we, you wiley, wabbit???!!!!

Shavua Tov

It's Yom Rishon - the new week has started.
The wind is blowing - but still, we wait for rain. I hope that these strong winds are just pushing the rain our way!!! Keep your ponchos at the ready -- we have to think positive.
Hmmm, maybe we should be playing "I wish it would rain" songs all day long....
Anyway, while we contemplate that, let us remind you that tonight, on Sunday Night Live, between 8 and 11 PM Lorelai and Steve's guests will be R' Nosson and Rebetzin Chana Schafer.
It's Week 7 of the "9 Weeks of Shlomo" and we are fortunate that the Schafers, before they return to chutz l'aretz, will come and join us to talk about All things Shlomo, and more.
Until then, music for a cold and windy not yet rainy day - all day long.
C Ya on the Radio!

Broken, Repaired, Better than New

Sounds like the Parsha, doesn't it?

Yaakov's family - Broken

Yosef - in jail, in Egypt - Broken

The Brothers - "caught in a lie" - hmmm - Broken

But then, Yosef reveals himself to his brothers, and says, "Al Teatzvu" - Don't be sad. Don't be angry, 'cause what you did was for the best - it was so I could come down here (Egypt) and "Mechayeh" - take care of you (give you life).

Broken, Fixed, and then, even Better.

Yaakov comes down to Egypt, and the family is re-united.

Yaakov can finally stop mourning for his "thought to be - but not by him" dead son.

What do we learn from this?

R' Leibele has a strong torah on this -- but bottom line -

HKBH (G-d) wants us to go through the process - the breaking and the fixing, but then--

AL TEATZVU - don't be sad.
We need to know that it's for the best, and the G-d of Rachamim (mercy) is there to comfort us.

Just like Shabbos, at the end of the long week - there to comfort us, and in the comfort give us strength.

Just like Radio Free Nachlaot, all week long - to bring some comfort (music, Torah, talk) to help us be strong from Shabbos to Shabbos.

When we are mechayeh each other - we give each other life -- not just, one the other, but EACH OTHER.

May we receive our life force from HKBH on Shabbos, and may we pass it around all week long.

Good Shabbos, Good Shabbos

... and remember -- Motzoei Shabbos - Lorelai's Birthday Melave Malke - starting after 7PM - where else but on Radio Free Nachlaot!

Isru Chag- Chanuka - Is there such a thing?

Well, there is if you want it!

The question is do we see it?

The question is how are we the DAY AFTER?

Are we Inspired? Refreshed? Renewed? Tired? Bored?

Are we just back to "cookin' for Shabbos", back to wondering where and when will be the REWARD?

or are we COOKIN' FOR SHABBOS - Knowing that the reward is the cooking and that the light at the end of the tunnel is not New Jersey, not a moving train (headed at ya), not even a ticket to the upcoming Hot Tuna concert on 12/22/10 at 3 Reading - Tel Aviv -- but that what we do for the sake of making GREAT G-D's NAME does come around back at us --

We send it up, and it comes down - but you know what i learned? It's not two seperate pieces one triggering a response from the other, and on and on -- No - It's that the two pieces are so connected that one is triggering the response from the other because they are responding to each other - with each other - connected from the inside, as it were -- one with each other. One because the connector, the Neshama, is a Chelek Elokim Mimaal - A Piece of G-d, from Above.
You know, it's just like when you want to hear a song and we play it!!!! It's Just like that!!!!

Cookin' for Shabbos.

I B Cookin' for Shabbos.

How 'bout you???

Good Shabbos, Good Shabbos.

It's the Seventh Day of Chanuka and Rosh Chodesh, to boot!

It's already the Seventh Day of Chanuka.
The month of Teves is upon us.
today we celebrate Jim Morrison's 67th birthday.
Today we celebrate John Lennon's 30th yahrzeit.
Tonight we light 8 candles - the brightest of all the nights.
Tonight is "Zot Chanuka." Zot Chanuka - This is Chanuka. We've been gathering light since Rosh Hashonah. This is the Climax. The light we recieve from the 8 lights of Chanuaka has to last us the rest of the year, or at least until Purim.
Tonight we broadcast live from Canaan(15 Shamai St., Jerusalem) - Aryeh Naftaly and the Elevators - "A Grateful Dead Chanuka" Concert, sponsored by Naranjah. (Doors open 9pm/Music 10pm)
Tomorrow we make the transition from Potato Latkes to Hot Tuna. (stay tuna'd for more on that!)
Happy Chanuka, Happy Rosh Chodesh everybody!

The 5th Light: Illuminating the Darkest Places

Gevaldt. So it's raining at last, thank G-d, in the Land of Israel. The deadly Carmel forest fire is finally extinguished, the Israelis who died in the fire are being buried and today our Haifa Police Chief Ahuva Tomer died, a heroine who perished trying to save her people from the burning flames.

The Lubavicher Rebbe says about the 5th Light of Chanukah:

"The fifth Hanukkah candle signifies great darkness because this day cannot fall on the Holy Sabbath. And through the Hanukkah candles, the greatest (spiritual) darkness of the world is illuminated. And for this reason, the potential of Hanukkah comes to fruition specifically through the fifth candle, which illuminates the darkest night- the night which never has the light of Shabbos. And this is the function of every Jew, in every place -- to illuminate the darkest place."

That's what we're talking about, people. The darkest of the dark can only be illuminated by the bravest fire - the one that will go where not even the light of Shabbos has ever shined.

TODAY on Radio Free Nachlaot:

RAIN SONGS 9am - 11am
Benzion Eliyahu Lehrer 11am (Repeats at 5pm) "The Returning Light: Through the Jewish Year"
Israeli Soul Afternoon with Yankle Shemesh, Soulfarm and Shoshanna Piano 1:30pm - 6pm
6 - 8pm Arnie Draiman's tzedaka adventures, an interview with Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum of Bat Ayin
8pm - THE NOT FOR DRAG QUEENS ONLY SHOWTUNES SHOW Presents THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN followed by Linus & Lucy: The Music of Vince Guaraldi by GEORGE WINSTON
10:15pm George Winston's "December"

Yom Rishon- Sunday / Yom Revii - Chanuka

Happy Sunday - Happy Chanuka
It's a sunny, warm day in December.
The fires are still burning in the north.
Maya's friend is being buried in Dimona.
The rain has not come to Jerusalem, or The Land.
We keep praying for Heavenly Mercy.
Jorma is playing Death Don't Have No Mercy.
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy - Is that really what it's all about?
Hey, what a great idea! Maybe we should try it out...
V'ahavta L'reacha Kamocha. Love your fellow as you would love yourself.
Maybe it's about the way we treat ourselves, the way we treat each other, the way we treat the world.
Maybe we need to be merciful to receive mercy.
Maybe we need to understand just what mercy is.
Maybe we'll be able to explore all of this through the music.
...We can only try!

Enjoy the music.
Enjoy the day.

..and remember, Sunday Night Live, tonight, 8-11PM, with our special guest, Dr. Moshe Rothkopf.
We'll remember Shlomo, and learn some Chanuka Torah -- You can't beat that, now can you?
C Ya on the Radio.

Good Shabbos, Good Shabbos

There are fires on the mountain.
The holiday of light sheds light on the destructive power of that which brings light - Fire.
A world of opposites.
Olam Hafooch. -- ask for it next time you go for coffee ---
But we have Shabbos - and we have the lights of the candles to remind us that its all from the One above, that's all.
We pray that all the mourners of Zion and Israel should be comforted.
We pray for rain.
We wish you Good Shabbos, Happy Chanuka, Happy Shabbos, love and peace to all.

Fire on the Mountain - Shabbos Chanukah - Who By Fire?

“Our Town is Burning”, by Mordechai Gebirtig, was written in Yiddish in 1938, after a pogrom in Przytyk, Poland.

Our town is burning, brothers, burning
Our poor little town is burning.
Angry winds are fanning higher
The leaping tongues of flame and fire,
The evil winds are roaring!
Our whole town burns!

And you stand looking on with folded arms,
And shake your heads.
You stand looking on, with folded arms,
While the fire spreads!

Well, in our case it isn't just a single town - it's thousands of acres in the Carmel - Israel's lush north which is a tinderbox this year due to extreme drought conditions. Over 40 people have died since yesterday and the fire rages on, forcing evacuations and bringing international aid from unlikely places - firefighting planes from Greece were the first to arrive this morning - ironic, considering it's Chanukah, the holiday in which we celebrate our victory over the Greeks.

No, the world isn't standing looking on with folded arms while the fire spreads. Greece, France, Britain, Spain, Russia, Turkey, Cypress, Bulgaria, Croatia and Azerbaijan have all sent planes. Egypt and Jordan have offered help, as well as the US and Canada.

We who are always at the forefront of rapid response to international disaster are now accepting help from others. Families and friends mourn and bury their dead.

Even here at Radio Free Nachlaot we are not untouched by this tragedy. Our own DJ Maya lost a friend - a Criminologist working with the Israeli prison authority - who was amongst the 40 who perished by fire on the bus trapped by flame on the road to Mt. Carmel yesterday.

Our hearts are heavy, but it's no accident that tonight is the the earliest candle lighting of the year. The darkest, longest night is the one in which our lights shine the brightest.

From Haftara Shabbos Chanukah: Zechariah 3:2 - "HaShem shall denounce you, O Satan ...This is indeed a firebrand rescued from the flames."

Bless us friends, as we bless you back - that the flames of love and brotherhood should grow higher, and the blaze of destruction should be diminished - Happy Chanukah, Shabbat Chanukah Shalom ...

I Need A Miracle Every Day - Chanuka, Day 2

As day 1 becomes day 2 remember that it is also yom chamishi, which means that Shabbos is Coming! Shabbos Chanuka is coming! How special is that!!!!

Every Shabbos we proclaim G-d, King of the world.

Shabbos comes and we renew our "bris", our covenant with the Holy One blessed be He.

Shabbos comes and we "feel" our "neshama yeseira" - our "extra soul" so to speak. (...and even if we don't actually feel it cause how do you feel (physical) a neshama yeseira (spiritual)?...)

Chanuka comes and we feel G-d's presence - we know that even though we had to win a battle, the few agains the many, the good against the evil, that in the end we were victorious only through the miracle of the flask of oil - a miracle G-d made, a miracle that Chazal "felt" the following year (which is how they knew that Chanuka was a festival for all time), a miracle that we remember each year. Our celeberation proclaims to the world that G-d RUNS THE WORLD, and it's mamash a MIRACLE that we survive!!!!

so let's review:

It's a Miracle that we're here.

It's a Miracle that we won,

It's a Miracle that we remember we won.

Is this what it means, I Need A Miracle, Every Day?????

Chanuka Sameyach Everyone, Everywhere!

Remember, Tonight:

7:30 - 8:30 R' Ozer Bergman's Rebbe Nachman Shiur

9:00 - 9:30 - Talking Heads - Remain in Light

9:30 - 10:00 - Bob Marley and the Wailers - Natty Dread

10:00 - Steve will be "cookin' for Shabbos" -- i wonder what's in his latke mix tonight????

...and don't forget the applesause....

Chanuka Sameyach - Day 1

The Night begins the Day, so I guess it's Day ONE!!!!

Happy Chanuka everybody.

It's the holiday of Light. Night, Day - it's all about the light.
Let's share the light - 'cause around here the light is in the music, and the music never stops (except for Shabbos) - so we have cease-less light -- continuous light - light coming from the headquaters of light - Yerushalayim!!!!! -- light that we say should be shared - passed around - hey, does anyone have a light? Yes we do -- http://www.radiofreenachlaot.com/ -- care to get some light?