Imagine 390 Jewish teens coming together from around the world, to perform original, and classic, Jewish choral arrangements – from V’hi Sheamda, to Hallelujah, to Tfilah L’Tzahal – to a full house at Carnegie Music Hall, which had sold out months in advance. What a moving vision that would be!

Fortunately, this vision becomes a reality every spring, when 27 international HaZamir chapters descend on New York City to perform, at a professional level, a very moving Jewish choral repertoire, which they’ve been carefully honing in local weekly rehearsals all year. (And yes – they perform this repertoire together from the stage of Carnegie Music Hall.)

The power of listening to this incredible body of music, performed by such talented and ambitious singers, is matched only by the power of seeing hundreds of teens from North America and Israel foster lifelong relationships with each other through their shared passion for Jewish choral music.

“The ability to come together with a bunch of other teens in a casual atmosphere, then perform on world-class stages…you can’t find that anywhere else,” says HaZamir Pittsburgh teen Jacob Wiesenfeld.

Here in Pittsburgh, we will have an opportunity soon to get a taste of HaZamir at the JCC on Wednesday, March 30, when our local chapter, HaZamir Pittsburgh, will perform Jewish choral music together with 12 Israeli teens from HaZamir Karmiel/Misgav, conducted jointly by Doug Levine (Pittsburgh) and Rima Priimack (Karmiel/Misgav).

These Israeli teens are visiting our chapter for the week from Israel, before departing with us for New York City.

While they’re here, they will also perform locally at Community Day School and River View Towers, visit local congregations and organizations, take in some well-known Pittsburgh sites, and build meaningful relationships with their peer counterparts in Pittsburgh.

The Community Concert represents the capstone to their week of bonding and learning together, and provides the community a chance to be moved by passionate teens singing Jewish choral music together – just as the lucky ticket-holders to Carnegie Music Hall will be.

We hope you’ll join us in Pittsburgh to hear their music!

For more information about this free community concert, taking place in Katz Theater at the JCC at 7:30 p.m. and followed by a dessert reception (dietary laws observed), please visit http://www.jfedpgh.org/hazamirconcert or contact Carolyn Gerecht, [email protected] or 412-339-5400.

Interested in participating in HaZamir Pittsburgh? Please contact Carolyn Gerecht, [email protected].