Badchen

A 1903 postcard showing a badchen addressing a Jewish Wedding

There is a long history of entertainers at Jewish weddings dating back to the Talmudic era.[1][2] The traditional role of the Eastern European badchen evolved from older Medieval and Early Modern Jewish wedding entertainers, such as the lets (לץ) or marshalik (מאַרשעליק), taking on a recognizable new form in seventeenth century Poland.[3][4][5] (Some sources may use the terms badchen, lets and marshalik interchangeably, whereas others treat them as distinct.[6][7]) The earlier type of marshalik guided the ceremonies of the wedding in a more serious manner, but the badchen turned the role into that a of a religiously-informed, moralistic comedian.[3][6] In this role they also drew on Yiddish Minstrels and Maggids who had been traveling entertainers in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.[8] The tradition spread across Jewish Eastern Europe and seems to have reached its height of popularity during the nineteenth century.[3]

With emigration from Europe, including to Ottoman Palestine starting in the early nineteenth century and later to the United States, the practice spread to other parts of the world.[3] With the rise of urbanization and the Haskalah, the role of the badchen (and their partners the klezmer musicians) declined in importance in Jewish life in the second half of the nineteenth century.[9] Some modern cultural critics in the early Twentieth century even disdained their art form, such as Saul M. Ginsburg and Pesach Marek who called the badchen a "mere mood manipulator at weddings" who "richly deserved the low status accorded to him in society".[10] Judah Leib Cahan said that their arcane humor contributed to the "dry atmosphere" of petit-bourgeois Jewish life.[10] On the other hand, some late nineteenth century badchens were themselves influenced by the enlightenment and made its ideals a part of their performances.[3]

A klezmer band and badchen in Shtchedrin, Russia, 1890s

The modern American badchen tradition was largely reconstituted and developed in Chassidic communities after World War II.[3] One notable proponent was Chaim Menachem Mermelstien (born 1920 in Munkacz, died November 7, 1985, in New York City), considered the father of modern-day badchonus. Rav Shlomo Yaakov Gelbman (1953–2015) was another modern badchen and historian in the Satmar community.[11] In this new context, the role of the badchen is more limited than it traditionally was in Europe, and is often performed alongside a single keyboardist rather than a klezmer orchestra.[3] The focus of their performances has also shifted from the bride towards the groom.[3]

Traditionally, the badchen was hired as a professional or semi-professional entertainer for Jewish weddings and other ritual occasions. He would not work alone, but would work with klezmer musicians, who themselves were a kind of professional Jewish entertainer.[3][12] Some badchens also worked as klezmer musicians in other contexts, and hereditary families of both professions often intermarried.[3] Badchens always had a fairly rigorous Jewish education in order to fulfill their role in the wedding; many were also Rabbis.[3]

In the traditional wedding, the badchen acted as a master of ceremonies, comedian, religious guide, and various other functions.[3] He was expected to generate energy for a party before and after the ceremony, and also to bring guests along in the transition to a more serious tone immediately before the ceremony.[13][7] He would speak and sing in Couplets, weaving in references to the Talmud and Tanach as well as making sarcastic commentary on contemporary life and doing impressions.[3][13][5][14] He would also direct the ceremonies and organize the collection of money at various stages of the wedding.[15] It was also possible for a particularly rich wedding to hire multiple badchens.[5]

A 1902 postcard showing a scene from a Jewish wedding

The role of the badchen was also to guide the bride and groom through the various ritual and customary stages of the traditional wedding. These often began with a procession of the wedding party through the streets to the home of the bride, with the accompaniment of the klezmer band and occasionally the badchen.[16] A further procession would take place later in the morning to the place where the wedding was to take place.[16] The next stages often focused on the bride. In various places this phase would be called Bazetsn di kale (seating of the bride), kale bazingn (singing for the bride) kale badekns (bridal veiling), while the badchen sang couplets punctuated by accompaniment by the klezmer musicians.[3][14][16] Often these couplets would include descriptions of a wife's responsibilities combined with phrases such as "kalenyu, kalenyu, veyn, veyn, veyn" (oh dear little bride, weep, weep weep).[16]

After that, the klezmer band would escort the couple to the courtyard of the Synagogue for the legal part of the ceremony.[14][16] Another stages was the mazltov or mitzvah dance where the badchen called up each woman present to embrace the bride,[14] had men symbolically dance with the bride via a handkerchief, or other ritual forms to announce honored guests.[16] The badchen also sang more lighthearted couplets during the wedding feast.[16]

Aside from weddings, badchens have also traditionally had roles in other ceremonies or holidays, such as such as Hanukkah or Purim, and for Bris (circumcision).[1][2][5] On Purim in particular, Badchens were known to perform in short plays or performances.[3]

Motty Ilowitz performing with an orchestra in 2021

Today the tradition of badchens exists mainly in Chassidic communities. Current performers include Motty Ilowitz, Yankel Miller[17] and Yoel Lebowits.[18]

Various forms of modern Jewish entertainment which arose in the Nineteenth century were created by former Badchens, or drew on aspects of the tradition, including Yiddish song, Yiddish poetry, Yiddish Theatre, and Broderzingers.[5][3] The so-called "father of Yiddish poetry", Eliakum Zunser, was a former badchen, as were many of the early actors in Abraham Goldfaden's theatre troupes as well as coffeehouse singers who are now long forgotten.[3][13][19] Satirical Yiddish songs of the late Nineteenth century also drew on the tradition of the Badchen, especially in their use and parody of liturgical music,[20] and many pioneering Yiddish-language recording artists of the early Twentieth century were former badchens, including Solomon Smulewitz and Frank Seiden.[3] As well, an early genre of Yiddish-language recorded music involved parodies of the badchen's traditional performances by Yiddish Theatre actors such as Gus Goldstein,[21] Julius Guttman,[22] Molly Picon,[23] H. I. Reissmann,[24] and the aforementioned Seiden and Smulewitz.[25] Later the traditions of Jewish comedy and vaudeville in the Borscht Belt also drew on aspects of the badchen's performances.[3]

In the world of Jewish literature, badchens often appeared as romantic or colourful figures, including in the works of literary figures such as Lev Levanda, Grigory Isaakovich Bogrov, Ezeldel Kotik, Avrom Ber Gotlober, Pauline Wengeroff and Abraham Cahan.[3]

With the Klezmer revival in the late 1970s and early 1980s, there was some renewed interest in badchen-style singing among klezmer bands. The revival band Kapelye included songs in that style on their albums Future And Past (1981) and Kapelye's Chicken (1987).[26] The group Budowitz, in their attempt to recreate a Nineteenth century Jewish wedding sound, also included badchen-style performances on their albums Mother Tongue (1997) and Wedding without a Bride (2000).[27]

• YIVO Encyclopedia article "Badkhonim"
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Cyrus Adler and H. G. Enelow and Joseph Jacobs (1901–1906). "Badhan". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.