Khazn Elektrik

Yiddish electro puppet opera. “Khazn Elektrik” is a concert of Khazones-inspired experimental music by Eli Berman featuring Judith Berkson. Following the concert is a kumsitz (khazones improvisation workshop) led by Judith Berkson — come ready to learn the art of traditional cantorial music!

Eli Berman will perform original music in Yiddish, Hebrew, and English. This will include her electronic dance music from the Kleztronica scene as well as solo excerpts from “Litanies of Lilith,” an electro puppet opera written, composed, and performed by Eli Berman with Yiddish translations by Moishe Dolman. Sounds are generated live on stage via voice and wearable electronics in additions to beats made entirely from vocal samples.

Before there is Eve, there is Lilith. “Litanies of Lilith” depicts her transformation from the first wife of Adam into the primordial mother of demons. She is created from the same earth as Adam and refuses to lie beneath him. She cries the ineffable names of God in order to grow an owl-like head and wings, crossing the Sea of Reeds to flee from Eden. This story is based on a Hebrew/Aramaic fable written in the Alphabet of Ben Sira, a medieval text from ~1000 CE. The title also references Diamanda Galás’ piece for voice and electronics, “Litanies of Satan,” itself drawn from poet Charles Baudelaire.

The Lilith backpack puppet, about 8ft tall, is constructed from PVC pipes, plastic tubing, wood, fabric, and electronics. Lilith’s eyes are battery-powered instruments with embedded speakers. Built from resonant PVC pipes, microphones, transducers, goat skin, and delay pedals, each requires onstage amplification rather than direct connection to a venue sound system. Two microphones in Lilith's wings feed into battery-powered, Teensy delay pedals worn in Berman’s bra, allowing her to manipulate the sounds from Lilith's eyes in real time.

This work-in-progress was performed April 24-25 at Dixon Place for the 2026 Object Movement Puppetry Festival. These performances were the culmination of a nine month residency with the Center at West Park.

Sunday, August 2nd, doors open 7 PM.