Is Danny Sanderson of ‘Poogy’ Fame Channeling Eddie Cantor? You Decide

J.J. Goldberg January 27, 2010

This is a clip from an early concert of Lahakat Kaveret, often known as the Poogy Band. There are four songs here: “Hamakolet”, “Magafayim shel Baruch”, “Goliath” and “Natati Lah Hayai”. It’s fabulous viewing if a) this was ever your thing and/or b) your Hebrew is good. But wait: There’s an eerie aspect, as I’ll note below.

O.K., here’s the weird part: Watch the hand gestures and body language of band leader Danny Sanderson (far right of the screen) in his solos in “Magafayim shel Baruch” (“Baruch’s Boots”) — it starts at 3:44 in the above video — and see if they don’t uncannily resemble the moves of an earlier master Jewish comic singer, Eddie Cantor, in his classic “Makin’ Whoopee.” Check it out:

If you want more musical nostalgia from what they call Good Old Eretz Yisrael, check out this Web site.

Continue to the jump if you’re interested in an unforgettable rendition of the Labor Zionist anthem, Bialik’s “Techezakna”.

Herewith, for you hard-core nostalgics for what was (supposed to be…), Chaim Nachman Bialik’s “Birkat Ha’am” (“The People’s Prayer”). “Strengthen the hands of all our brothers restoring the soil of our land. May your spirit not fail — come, joyous and singing, shoulder to shoulder, to serve the people.”

J.J. Goldberg is editor emeritus of the Forward, where he served as editor in chief for seven years (2000-2007).

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Forward. Discover more perspectives in Opinion. To contact Opinion authors, email opinion@forward.com.

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