Jews Gone Wild. Total Mishegas in Aspen.

Shira Gunsburg performed Bubby's Kitchen in Aspen.It was total mishegas in Aspen and a BIG night for the Aspen Jewish Congregation.  

Cantor Shira Ginsburg performed her one-woman show BUBBY's KITCHEN at the Aspen District Theatre.  

Bubby's Kitchen  (click 4 info) explores Ginsburg's relationship with her Bubby (grand-mother) who fought the Nazi's in WW II and survive the holocaust.  It's a happy story of love, terror, survival, family and food set to music and delivered straight from her Bubby's Kitchen.  

Members of the Aspen Jewish Congregation (AJC) sat mezmorized (no shpilkes) as Ms. Ginsburg spun the tale of her family during the time of the Nazi occupation and their eventual triumph. Bubby was the only member of her immediate family to survive the terror, and she fought for freedom as a 16 year old girl.  She eventually made it to America to become a family matriarch, a grand mother of 10 and an incredible cook. It was as if you could smell the matzo ball soup simmering on-stage as Ms. Ginsburg brought her Bubby to life.  Actually Bubby is still alive and cooking at 91 in Boca Raton, Florida,  the land of our people...and she loves the show.

Almost everyone in the jammed packed audience could relate to Bubby's stories of perseverance, dedication to life  and her deep love for her family.   True in many families...Bubby was always there with a sweet hug, a heavy dose of encouragement and a cinnamon rugelach to ease the pain.  Ms. Ginsburg, a trained actress and professional Cantor portrayed her Bubby, her Zayde (grampa), her parents her aunts and cousins (even the skinny one) on the stage.  It was a festival of family, food and music.

Click 4 pix:  JEWS GONE WILD in ASPEN

Jewsih Soul Food from Katz's Deli in NYC.While the show was fantastic, the after-party was unbelievable. It was a HUGE nosh.  Rabbi David Segal and AJC Executive Director Jason Schnissel brought in an amazing array of taste treats from KATZ's 2nd Avenue Deli in NYC.  It was the best meal of the year (in my opinion).  Corned Beef, pastrami, brisket, matzoh ball soup, 3 types of knishes and the best-ever kosher hot dogs.  All authentic and flown in from New York.  I've  never seen a more beautiful buffet line.  It was like manna from heaven.  With a line-up of Jewish soul food set out deliciously at the brand new Cooking School of Aspen, I started kvelling.  Some people thought I was meshuganah when I went back for third's and fourth's and then fifth's.   According to Ms. Ginsburg's Bubby...who faced true hunger in Eastern Europe...an empty plate was a sin.  The AJC and I made Bubby proud...everybody ate like chazers.  There was plenty to go around...not a kvetch was heard...the leftovers were bubkes.

It was a beautiful night of community for AJC...filled with history, mishpochah, friendship, laughter, a few tears and the best corned beef this side of 2nd Avenue.  I am looking forward to Pesach.

Mazel Tov AJC.

Click 4 Pix:  JEWS GONE WILD in Aspen.

The families of Aspen Jewish Congregation came out for Bubby's Kitchen.Alan Feldman's Mom and Dad and The Gordon's made the cover of AspenSpin.Get me a Larry David type.Shira Ginsburg, Cantor Rollin Segal and the gang. Michael Sailor (knees dont grow on trees) is always camera ready.