Movies - Badchen

	Movies - Badchen

Badchonim (singular badchen) traditionally entertained before and after Ashkenazic Jewish weddings. They were generally learned men comparable to a maggid or sermonizer.

Wedding parties were one of the few contexts in which Jewish tradition allowed music and dance.

In addition to a badchen, and the rabbi who actually performed the wedding, an elaborate traditional wedding could also involve a letz (a jongleur/musician) and a marshalik (a master of ceremonies).

The badchen had to be able both to provide the energy for a party before and after the ceremony itself and also to make the transition to a more serious tone immediately before the ceremony.

Some famous badchonim include Chaim Mendel Mermelstien of the early twentieth century and the contemporary Yankel Miller.

The 19th century Broder singers began as badchonim, but began to perform outside of the context of weddings. They, in turn, are usually seen as the forerunners of Yiddish theater.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Badchen ]

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article Badchen; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.

Searches on eBay