klezmer los angeles  

Home of California’s GREATEST Klezmer Band:

Richárd Bernard’s OY!Stars

who say...

"There are 2023 ways to spell Chanukah...

Each of them is incorrect!"

But there’s one sure way to spice up your latkes and whip your sour crème into a lather – add a dash of 

LIVE CHANUKAH MUSIC to your Home Simcha, Temple Festival, Children’s Chanukah Party, Boxing Day match, Winter Solstice or New Year’s Celebration.

The Best Hanukkah 2023, Klezmer, Yiddish & More Jewish MUSIC!

(818) 888-0588

Don't Fail to check out the video at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-fp4jjH6Fs

Watch the Dreidel spin and smell the oil burn your latkes (but in a good way) while you’re busy with the Menora Lighting - as the best Los Angeles Klezmer Band plays and everybody (including the kids) busts a move on a folk dance.

Musical Menorah for the Festival of Lights

(a Harmonic Chanukiah to be exact)

Richárd Bernard’s OY!Stars can perform Chanukah Party Music either completely acoustically or as electric as my mother’s hanukiyah!

Rockin’ the Rock of Ages with these hits and sundry others:

• Who Can Retell
• Light One Candle
• Kindle A Candle
• I Left My Kartofle In San Francisco
• Chanukah O! Chanukah
• I Have A Little Dreidel
• Chanukah Chag Yafesh
• Happy Chanukah, Baby
• Maoz Tzur/Rock of Ages
• S’vivon (Dreidel Spin)
• Ocho Kandalikas
• Eight Days of Chanukah

But wait, folk (and the folk-curious)!

Not a Jew?

Not a problem!

Note to church people (And not just the ones who knocked on my door this morning): Have a party with live music anyway. Christians can celebrate this inspirational holiday as part of a “Bible Days” festival – a mirthful way to engage children outside the Sunday school classroom – like a Renaissance Faire without the incredibly bad English accents, and WITH fun music and dance courtesy of those affable Hebrews. In the words of the immortal Groucho Marx, "We have standards, madam, and if you don't like them...we have OTHER standards!"

The fun never stops! Even more spellings! Khanike, Hanukkah, Chanukkah, Channukah, Hannukah, Hannukkah, Hannuka, Hanukah, Channukkah, Hanuka, Channuka, Chanukka, Channukkah, Chanuka, and Vebelfetzer.

Richárd Bernard’s OY!Stars

Oh, have I mentioned?? See great video at...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-fp4jjH6Fs

But there’s one sure way to spice up your latkes and whip your sour crème into a lather – add a dash of LIVE CHANUKAH MUSIC to your Home Simcha, Temple Festival, Children’s Chanukah Party, Boxing Day match, Winter Solstice or New Year’s Celebration.

Any Season is the Perfect Time of Year for Latkes



OY!Stars’ Richárd Bernard and Zinovy Goro with

 Theo Bikel

and the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony at the Greek Theatre, Hollywood

 Hanukkah Faerie Chieftain of the Squeezebox

(also delicious with apple sauce?) 

(DO The Hora)

Read on...for the

ULTIMATE LATKE RECIPE!

Dancing the HO-ra, ‘round a Santa Monica Chanukah  Men-Orah

Fun Los Angeles Chanukah Music

and all other Party Music

Call (818) 888-0588

Richár♪ Bernar♪’s

Utterly Delicious Brooklyn-Hollywood LATKE Recipe

“Failproof - unless you’re a lousy cook”

Vegan spoiler alert: I know…Chanukah is based on the Olive Oil that burned for 8 nights, but this recipe gives you the option of Chicken Schmaltz or Olive Oil, and it calls loudly for Eggs. Some people love Schmaltz. They crave to lie in a bathtub of the stuff, up to their necks. You wouldn’t do that with Eggs. I mean, that would be crazy.

Personally, as I sing in my Chanukah song “By My Spirit”:

“We were saved by olive oil,

Not the kind beneath the soil”

– Richár♪ Bernar♪

With your permission, I would like to speak Yiddish for a moment:

 "Mmmmmmmmmm"

First, put on some Klezmer Music!!

5 Large BAKING (Russet Burbank, Idaho etc.) Potatoes, scrubbed not peeled. If you can’t round up any spuds that day, try substituting pratties, bulbes, kartofle, tofu, or give up and go to Nate n’ Al’s – the best damn deli west of Philly.                                                                      

1 Large Egg. Okay, two.
1 Medium Onion. Okay, Large.
2 Tablespoons of Flour or Matzo Meal. Three. I can’t help it if I’ve got a heavy hand.      1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon of Kosher salt
Freshly Ground Black (or White) Pepper            4 Tablespoons Italian Breadcrumbs. I mean, really.                                                                                          Olive Oil or Chicken Schmaltz – Or a combination of the two. It’s the schmaltz that gives it the OY! The chicken is that most noble of birds and look what it gave for your Latkes. Do what you think is right: THE VERDICT IS YOURS.

Now I realize that many good and well-intentioned folk believe they don’t like chicken fat. But I’m here to tell you – it’s just Poultry in Motion!

Garlic – optional. But is it really food if it doesn’t have Garlic??  Adds even more OY!  

READY?

Eyns! Tsvey! Dray!

No Fier!

Hand-grate Potatoes and onion into strips, or dupe someone else into doing it for you. Drain out excess moisture by shoving into a colander, or wring in a dish towel. Get a bowl. Not that one. The big one! Combine Potatoes, Onion, Flour, Baking Powder, Breadcrumbs, Eggs and Spices. Mix well with your soulful wooden spoon.

Whip out your beloved favorite frying pan. Warm up the Oil or Schmaltz, or a combination if you’re feeling audacious. Coat the bottom of the pan. Don’t go crazy here. Don’t use 8 nights worth of Oil - it’s contrary to the spirit of the holiday. You’ll add a little more Oil as needed. The heat shouldn’t be so high that they burn. It shouldn’t be too low, they’ll be greasy. What’s the matter with you?

When you’ve convinced yourself it’s the correct temperature, take 2 heaping tablespoons of batter, dump in the frying pan (DON’T BURN YOURSELF FROM THE SPLATTER) and flatten them till they’re a half-inch thick. Cook till browned: Take your spatula and lovingly insert under Latkes to check for that perfect golden-brown color. It's like a Holy Grail for Jews. When you’re satisfied, flip ‘em over - not too roughly. When you’ve done both sides, pick them up and let them drip for a sec, then wrap in towels to absorb the Oil – or as The OY!Stars refer to  it: “AbZorba The Grease”!

Keep warm till they’re all cooked – in a low oven or on top of your all-tube Guitar Amp. Serve with Apple Sauce (make it fresh at home – just throw raw Apples into a food processor, or boil and mash ‘em), Sour Cream, and if you take the notion, a nice Chianti. Or give up and drive to Nate n’ Al’s – the best damn deli west of Philly.

Makes enough for 5 people

(unless my brothers are around!)