Six Months

The entire teen choir

When HaZamir scheduled this year's gala concert at Carnegie Hall, there is no way anyone could know that it would come on the day that marked 6 months from a massacre on Israeli soil.

HaZamir is the International Jewish teen choir. This means that all of the chapters work all year from all around the U.S. as well as from several different chapters in Israel. On the weekend before the gala concert they come together for an intense weekend together, bonding and practicing late into the night, before bringing their talents to us.

The concert was incredibly powerful this year with an entire repertoire devoted to Israel and the strength and survival of the Jewish people. There were different ensembles -- first the teen choir, then the chamber choir, etc. As these performances are published online I will try to share them in future blogposts. 

Just the Israelis

One of the pieces was just the Israelis, minus the other teens. The sang V’hisheamda, liturgy from the Pesach seder that speaks of how in every generation there are people who rise up against us, but Gd always saves us. Two young woman introduced them. At least one of them was displaced. (We knew this because she told us she was from Ofakim. ) I wonder who in her neighborhood was murdered that day. Whom does she know that is being held hostage at this very moment. Who does she know that is risking their lives to defend the country. 

When the Israelis came on stage, the entire Hall stood and applauded them for a long powerful moment. We bathed them in love and I could see they felt the strength of it. I will hold onto that strength myself too for the long road ahead.