Nocturne
The New Republic magazine brought Yo-Yo Ma and his silk road ensemble to its event at Harman Hall on Saturday. But first up was a veritable Borscht Belt lineup of Jewish humor.
TNR editor Martin Peretz invited incoming administration officials Rahm Emanuel and Larry Summers, as well as Rep. Barney Frank, to give opening remarks. And off they went.
Frank said when they had assembled in the green room backstage someone asked who would speak first. “They said the arrogant Jewish guy. And no one knew who it was.” Ba-da-boom.
Frank also likened his role to singing the “Star Spangled Banner” at a baseball game: “No one came to hear you, but they can’t start the thing without you.”
For his part, Emanuel said he appreciated the music, given his background as a ballet dancer (which brought a hand from Yo-Yo Ma). “No matter what I’ve done,” he said, his mother tells him, “You could have been a dancer.”
In any event, added Emanuel, “Six more Jewish men up here and you’d have a minyan” (which is a quorum required for certain religious obligations).
