Shocking Death of a Rising Klezmer Star
5th June 2008
Everyone at the JMI has been deeply shocked to hear thetragic news that Michael Kahan, one of our brightest Klezmer violinists, was murdered last weekend. Our thoughts go out to his family and to his music partner Ros. Well wishes have been pouring in from all over the globe, from all the Klezmorim that knew and played with Michael. Everyone is in deep shock.

Geraldine Auerbach, JMI Director wrote to all KlezFesters and Klezmer musicians to let them know about the tragic story. "It is with great sadness that we relate the news of the tragic and untimely death of one of our klezmer family in the North, Michael Kahan. KlezFesters will remember the charming Manchester violinist and his performance partnership with Ros Hawley in the esteemed duo, ‘Klezmer Gourmets’."

Michael was inexplicably stabbed to death near his home on Sunday. He had popped out in the morning for some breakfast bagels for his wife and son, and some guy got out of a car and stabbed him to death. Friend and colleague, Adrian Dobson says: 'It just doesn’t seem real. Such a waste! His life together with Eva (whom he married only last summer) was just beginning to take off. They gave each other so much and had so many plans together. The wonderful thing was that he had just begun seeing his teenage son again after so much time apart, and there was definitely a dream of being part of a family again'.

Adrian adds: We are all in a state of shock here at Michael’s tragic death. Nothing can prepare us to cope with such random and extreme violence, and absolutely nothing can explain or excuse it. I fear that we are only beginning to appreciate the extent of our loss as the tragedy continues to unfold. Many of us musicians were inspired by Michael who was so generous with his talents, and we all valued his warmth, enthusiasm and creativity. I will miss him as a very kind and good friend, and I will remember him in my playing of klezmer for as long as I live.

There will be a Klezmer Jam session in Michael's honour this Sunday (8th June) from 1 - 4pm at the Cross Kings, near King's Cross Station. Contact i.cravitz@hotmail.com for details.

Another Klezmer Jam in Michael's honour will take place at SOAS on Tuesday 10th June from 7 - 9pm. Contact Laoise for details.

There will be a recognition of Michael and his music at KlezFest 2008 and during the Klezmer Klimax concert on 13th August at West London Synagogue.

Michael was not just a great Klezmer player, but a lovely, genuine, sweet man, and we have all lost a friend.

Ilana Cravitz, the London-based klezmer violinist and workshop and jam organiser says' He was a very gifted fiddler and a stalwart of the Manchester klezmer community, running regular workshops and other sessions. He had also been an enthusiastic participant at our JMI London KlezFest, and this year also taught some Tuesday classes at SOAS, University of London for JMI. His death is a really tragic loss'.

Musicians in London who would like to join Ilana and Friends in paying tribute to Mike, would be very welcome to attend Ilana's session at the Cross Kings, 162 York Way, London N1 between 1pm and 4pm on Sunday 8 June. You can call Ilana on 0782 551 0881 or email her on icravitz@tiscali.co.uk. - or probably just turn up.

Ros Hawley was due to play with Michael at an outdoor event in a Manchester park this coming weekend. She says, 'Sadly and tragically, violinist Michael Kahan died at the weekend. He was my friend and duo partner, and we were due to be performing in our duo, Klezmer Gourmets, at FEAST! a community picnic festival at Platt Fields. We were intending to be strolling musicians entertaining the 'picnic-ers' with our Klezmer tunes.'

As a tribute to Michael, Ros and her husband Fish have invited his musician friends to play with them in the park. She envisages 'The slots will be like a jam session for Mike, where we play together tunes he enjoyed. He loved dancing too and was recently taking on leading dancing at events’.

Ros and friends have set up an email address for anyone wishing to leave any messages and thoughts - Steve Landin has put this on the Klezmer Gourmets website too. The address is klezmergourmets@o2.co.uk' Ros says: The Klezmer Gourmets website is going to become a place where musicians can leave their thoughts so that there is a collective focused space for people to remember together, Eva wants this too, so please keep an eye on this and leave something there, and let your Klezmer networks know the same.

"Life up here is so strange- we were meant to be rehearsing today for a number gigs we had coming up- it was meant to be a time of looking forward to the summer and the gigs this brings and enjoying playing.

"Hopefully we are helping Eva and the family by giving people a focus to help them come to terms with the shock of what's happened and her some kind of space to be with her family".

Adrian Dobson says: I am so glad that Ros has given us the chance to meet this weekend to play klezmer together and dance in Platt Fields Park. It feels absolutely right that we remember Michael with the music and dance that he loved. We won’t ever be able to fill the space that he has left, but we will be able form a circle of hugs with all our memories of Michael in the centre.

Ruth Steinberg from Leeds writes: Michael was at the last Klezfest and I remember sitting in a restaurant round the corner from the Shul talking with Geraldine and her team with a few of us about 'Klezmer up North' and exploring how we could build. It was at the JMI Liverpool event that I last saw him and can only think of him as a lifeful and life affirming musician and a kind and gentle Jewish man'.

Laoise Davidson, who with Yvonne Glass, and Barbara Rosenberg is running KlezFest this year says: “Not only was Michael a gifted violinist and teacher who was passionate about Klezmer music and Jewish culture, but he was also a very happy guy who always had a smile on his face. He will be terribly missed.”

The klezmer London team, as well as the entire faculty of KlezFest – who will all pay tribute to Mike at this year's week-long course (10 – 15 August) – join me in sending the traditional Jewish greeting of wishing you all a long life.

Some of the faculty who have heard the awful news have said:

He was a dear soul and friend. - Jeff Warschauer

He'll be missed, a lovely man.... let's put our thoughts out to his
family.....and of course honour and remember his at Klezfest! - Merlin Shepherd

This is so tragic - Frank London

I am so incredibly sorry to hear this terribly sad news. I was really looking forward to seeing him again at Klezfest. I always enjoyed chatting about music with him and comparing klezmer notes. I know that the SOAS klezmer class this year respected him a lot. - Meg Hamilton

We just got the news and are in shock. Michael was an incredibly sweet person and wonderful musician. - Josh Horowitz

Debra and I spent some lovely one on one time with Michael. I found him to be a passionate and incredibly intelligent musician. As Josh said, we are deeply saddened by this horrible news. - Cookie Segelstein

Michael had such a beautiful enthusiasm and passion for music and life, and was such a positive, energetic force. It was always a pleasure to hear him play. - Sophie Solomon