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By Sara Appel-Lennon
 DEL MAR, California—The San Diego County Fair had a special event every Tuesday: a sampling of junk food galore for $2.
Additionally, on one recent Tuesday "Taste of the Fair" delivered a Jewish flavor when Fred Benedetti and George Svoboda, two entertaining Klezmer guitarists who performed together for 19 years, played a three-part melody of Sephardic songs.
Raindrops danced across our heads and our toes tapped as the audience remained seated and attentive, despite the short summer rain shower. I kvelled to the Klezmer music, while I savored a chocolate covered, dripping, messy ice cream cone in the rain.
The songs in Ladino were Partos Trocaderos, Un Aire Muser, and El Rey Nimrod- King Nimrod.
After the concert I discovered that Both Benedetti and Svoboda perform in different Klezmer bands. Benedetti plays guitar with Yale Strom and Hot P'Strom'i.
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By talking with Strom previously, I learned how the band chose their name. Strom's father, David Strom had been a
public school teacher whose students called him Mr. Pastrami. The name stuck for the Klezmer band, with a slight spelling variation, "P'Strom'i."
Svoboda performs with Second Avenue Klezmer band. The band comprises Deborah Davis, vocalist, Bob Zelickman, clarinetist, Jiri George Svoboda, guitarist, Bertram Turetzky, bass, and Jon Wishnuff, drummer.
Earlier I had the pleasure of hearing Second Avenue Klezmer at Dor Hadash Congregation, when Zelickman recounted this amusing anecdote:
Many years ago Benny Goodman showed up for a rehearsal before a concert where he met Zelickman. Goodman forgot to bring his clarinet so he asked Zelickman if he could borrow his clarinet. Zelickman, a cordial gentleman, agreed.
Goodman then wanted to buy Zelickman's clarinet but Zelickman said "Mr. Goodman, it's not for sale. My mother just bought it for me. She would kill me if I sold it." To this day, Zelickman still has his clarinet and the memory of his assertiveness with Goodman.
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