Key West The Newspaper

Congregation B’nai Zion is gifting the community with a rare—perhaps unique—international tour of cultural Judaism via a Saturday, April 9 concert titled 3 Jewish Divas. At 7:30 p.m. Vicky Rosenblatt, Melody Cooper and Nancy 3 Hoffman present music from their varied heritages that include Sephardic, Yiddish and French songs. All are professional singers and musicians.

Victoria Yahia Rosenblatt was born in Alexandria, Egypt of a Sephardic father from Morocco and Turkey and an Ashkenazi mother with a Yiddish-speaking family from Roumania. They did not speak each other’s native language so communicated in French. Rosenblatt came to the USA as a teenager and has had a successful career in New York and Key West as a piano accompaniest and performer of French cabaret.

It is Brooklyn, NY native but longtime local Melody Cooper, however, who has developed a specialty in Sephardic music. A popular pop and jazz singer “who has played in every joint in town,” as well as a pianist, she also plays harp and will perform repertoire she has been collecting during her studies in Spain, as well as an original song written for her mother.

Nancy 3. Hoffman is a Klezmer musician, accordionist and multi-lingual performer focusing on her Yiddish repertoire. She has been heard on keyboards in most of the theaters in town and sings (and leads folk dances) in 22 languages. The Cleveland native has an affinity for islands: she winters in Key West from Peak’s Island, Maine.

There is no reserved seating but synagogue doors at 750 United St., Old Town, open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door. This is another “Feed Your Mind, Feed Your Soul” event which concludes with a dessert reception with Champagne and wine; an RSVP to Kenny Weschler would be appreciated at (305) 292-1920 or [email protected].

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