I came upon a child of God He was walking along the road And I asked him, where are you going And this he told me I’m going on down to Yasgur’s farm I’m going to join in a rock ‘n’ roll band I’m going to camp out on the land I’m going to try an’ get my soul free We are stardust We are golden And we’ve got to get ourselves Back to the garden
Woodstock
There are plenty of stories about the “half a million strong” that were part of Woodstock, and even more about the festival itself, but I was prompted to learn more about Max, the farmer who hosted Woodstock. It was during an anniversary show about the festival that these facts were revealed. The town of Walkill, NY rescinded its offer to host the music festival, deciding that opening their town to thousands of “hippies” who “do drugs” and were “war protesters” was not in their best interest. Unfortunately, this occurred after preparations were underway and the stage was already being built on a property. Time was growing short, and there was only about a month left before the concert was to take place. Three weeks before the concert, promoters were still desperately looking for a venue. A real estate connection introduced the promoters to Max Yasgur. Joel Rosenman, one of them (in PBS’ American Experience, “Woodstock: Three days that defined a generation”) said that he thought Max had a soft spot for him. I wondered if there was any Jewish connection and searched a little further. Max and Miriam Yasgur were dairy farmers in Bethel, NY (Hebrew translation: House of God) who sold most of their dairy products throughout upstate New York. Max’s parents were Russian immigrants, and although he was raised in New York City, one can’t help thinking that his upbringing contributed to his decision to lease his land for the festival. It was not without consequence. There were threats of arson, boycotts, and a law suit. His wife, in an interview, said that town residents erected signs not to buy “Yasgur’s milk” since he loves the “hippies”. The many forms of protest only strengthened Max’s resolve to go through with his commitment. After the festival, he was shunned by townspeople and no longer welcome, even in the general store. He was also sued by his neighbors for damage to their properties. What makes this all so unusual, is that although Max was a conservative Republican, in favor of the Vietnam War, his desire for freedom of speech (and maybe his personal history) was the overriding value. Max and Miriam moved to Florida and he died four years later, at the age of 53. Max did get to see and tour Israel , about two years before his death.Although I could not find any exact quotes relating Max’s Jewish heritage to his decision, I can’t help but think it played a part.
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