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The last time I saw Willy Mason he was playing with Pete Townsend. It was back in 2007 in Austin, at South By Southwest. Pete and his girlfriend, Rachel Fuller had put together a two hour show with a bunch of new bands they liked and Willy Mason and his band were part of that show. In the middle of Willy’s set, Pete came out and joined the band for a few songs. When he left, Willy said “thanks, Pete,” and then added “I never thought I’d be saying that.”

Back then, Willy had a band and his lyrically strong songs could be described accurately as folk-rock. Recently, Willy has been working on a new record over in England. I’m not sure what format he’ll be playing in tonight or what his new material sounds like. But this show at The Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 is a rare opportunity to see Willy and should not be passed up. See the details about tonight show at Now I’ve Heard Everything by clicking here.

–Eliot Wagner

Civics and Urban Life

Brad Lander’s Shiva Visit to Leiby Kletsky’s Family

July 20, 2011 admin

Earlier this week City Councilmember Brad Lander visited the family of Leiby Kletsky, the 8-year-old Borough Park boy who was brutally murdered last week. He wrote about his experience with the family and it is on his website today. I was in Europe during this terrible tragedy and I knew nothing about it until I got back to New York on Sunday night. I was moved by Lander’s reflections on his visit with the family and am reprinting it here for those who haven’t had a chance to read it.

No words can ease or describe the grief, or heal the wounds, but — like so many people I’ve talked to — I’ve been thinking about it constantly for the past week, and wanted at least to write down some of what I’ve been feeling.

We were all heartbroken by the tragedy — especially those with close ties to the Borough Park and Kensington communities, or the Orthodox Jewish community, or those of us with young kids … but really all of us, beyond Brooklyn, beyond New York, beyond the Jewish community, beyond parents. The killing reminded us that despite everything we do to keep our kids and each other safe, there are spaces of senseless terror, of incomprehensible evil. That the things that are absolutely most dear and precious to us can be taken away in a heartbeat, for no reason at all.

At the shiva, after talking to his parents, I met one of Leiby’s neighbors, who talked to me about how Leiby would play ball with the little kids in his building, about how rare it is for an 8-year-old to play with 4-year-olds, about how he had a heart of gold, living up to his name (Leiby is from the Hebrew lev, for heart).

While neither words nor actions feel meaningful in the face of the tragedy, the response of the Orthodox Jewish community has been remarkable. I’ve been deeply impressed over the past two years with the extraordinary voluntary (chesed) organizations and efforts in the community, for so many causes — taking care of sick families, helping kids go to summer camp, providing social and health and mental health services, and so many others. The past week showed that like no other.

Continue reading Brad Lander’s Shiva Visit to Leiby Kletsky’s Family →

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