Whippany–Residents of the Lester Senior Housing Community were treated to a musical stroll down memory lane on December 23, the eighth night of Chanukah. The Hester Street Troupe, a klezmer trio who plays old-fashioned Borscht Belt music, filled the place with joy. There was little kvetching, just bright smiles on the faces of audience members who sang along in Yiddish and even got up to line dance.

The troupe talked about how any music can be turned into klezmer, and proved it by turning “Jingle Bells” to “Yingle Bells” with a whining clarinet. They segued into mama loshen with “My Yiddishe Maidele” followed by “Bei Mir Bist Du Shein,” which had almost everyone singing. The more active residents, along with Lester employees, participated in the “freilachs” that came next, as the room was transformed into a modern-day version of a Lower East Side wedding. After a little Yiddish humor, Jim Bazewicz, the only non-Jew in the troupe, performed “A Goy’s View of Yiddish Vaudeville,” to the delight of all. The evening wrapped up with a performance of “Rumania,” after which the residents were treated to latkes and applesauce.

“It was so special seeing the delight on the faces of the seniors as they watched and sang along,” said Rabbi Richard Kirsch, rabbi of the Lester congregation, who started the evening’s festivities by lighting the menorah with the residents. “The evening reminded me of stories my parents used to tell and songs my mother used to sing.”

The members of the Hester Street Troupe have been together since their teens, and have been performing for more than 30 years. Jay Sweifach, keyboardist, Alan Sweifach, clarinetist, and Bazewicz, drummer, love nothing more than to entertain and delight. They perform to standing-room-only audiences throughout the Northeast and in Florida. This was their second consecutive Chanukah performance for the Lester community.

By Jill Kirsch