Grateful Dead in Israel
Grateful Dead in IsraelIsrael news photo: PR

The Elevators are embarking on their "Israel '72" tour, a reference to the Grateful Dead's triple live album "Europe '72". But in this case, the Grateful Dead in Israel reference is to the new Hebrew year of 5772, not 1972. Aryeh Naftaly, the lead singer of the band spoke with Israel National News about the shows. 

Naftaly is a resident of Moshav Mevo Modiin, the community founded by Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. When asked if the members of his band are religious, he replies, "Religious shmeligious. Once I heard Reb Shlomo say that he doesn't the meaning of the words religious and secular. You have to use different terms when describing people. I agree with him." 

Naftaly expects to see a diverse crowd at Sunday night's Jerusalem gig at the Yellow Submarine concert hall, where they have performed many times in the past.

"We get a lot of young hippies, Americans and yeshiva kids who probably weren't even born when the Grateful Dead were around," he says. By contrast, last week's Grateful Dead gathering at the Haruvit Forest was "a different scene. Mostly Israelis, ex-hippies in their 50s and 60s, some current hippies and some bikers." The thing they all have in common is a love for the music of the popular American band who toured the world from 1965 to 1995. 

One fan at the forest concert thanked Naftaly for "spreading Reb Shlomo's Torah." Naftaly comments, "I didn't know what he was talking about. I simply gave over a little word of Torah during the show. But I guess somehow he must have felt that energy."

The Elevators play their own original music as well. The band is in the process of recording their second full length album. Naftaly previous made a name for himself with the band Ayn Safeq in the mid 1990s which released several CDs.

The Elevators Grateful Dead tribute is Sunday Oct 16th at the Yellow Submarine in Jerusalem. For more information click here.

The Elevators at the Moshav Country Fair in Moshav Mevo Modiin on Monday Oct. 17th. For more information call 08-926-4676 or email thirdage@zahav.net.il.

Ben Bresky is a music journalist and host of the Israel Beat Jewish Music Podcast on Arutz Sheva - Israel National Radio. For show archives click here.