2009 FESTIVAL CONCERTS OPENING JUNE 29 @ USDAN CENTER

Metropolitan Klezmer plus.... much more.

METROPOLITAN KLEZMER opens series on JUNE 29,
Cellist Edward Arron Also Featured.

Usdan Center For the Creative and Performing Arts (www.usdan.com), now entering its 42nd season and declared a 'Best O'f class or camp for 2009 by TimeOutNY/Kids, NY Metro Parents and Long Island Press, will open its series of Festival Concerts, private educational performances for its students, on Monday June 29 at the Center¹s 200-acre woodland campus. These will be in addition to many special workshops that will offer by the visiting artists for Usdan students. The Center¹s 2009 season runs from June 29 to August 14. Usdan is located at 185 Colonial Springs Road, in Huntington, Long Island.

The daily concerts are presented at Usdan¹s 1,000-seat McKinley Amphitheater at 12 Noon and again at 12:30 PM each of the festival. The concerts expose students to the best of music, dance and theatre while they are pursuing their studies in these fields. After several weeks of attending the artist performances, students take over and perform onstage themselves. In addition, there are on-site exhibits displaying the work of visual arts students.

This year¹s schedule of Festival Concerts opens Monday June 29 with Metropolitan Klezmer, whose performances of Yiddish genres have been called ³Impeccable yet electrifying (Village Voice).² On succeeding days, artists include the world-renowned Tokyo String Quartet; Broadway¹s Cady Huffman, Tony Award-winner for The Producers, in a musical theater performance; jazz singer and Usdan alumna Jane Monheit; Justin Greer of Broadway¹s Shrek in a special dance performance with cast members of Broadway¹s Wicked and others; Empire Brass, called by critics ³America¹s foremost brass ensemble²; Ballet San Jose, which recently toured China to great acclaim, directed by Dennis Nahat, former Joffrey/ABT star, and a visiting Master Teacher in Usdan¹s Dance Department; Metropolitan Opera soprano Monica Yunus, creator of Sing For Hope, in which stars of music, dance and theatre perform fundraisers for a variety of social causes; Pat Hall, an award-winning dancer and choreographer with an ensemble of musicians and dancers who perform in Afro-Haitian styles; Anthony McGill, Principal Clarinetist of the MET Orchestra, and featured performer at the inauguration of President Barack Obama; cellist Edward Arron, called by the New Yorker ³One of New York¹s most exciting young cellists² with pianist Jeewon Park; and Polish jazz pianist Mateusz Kolakowski, a prizewinner of the International Chopin Competition. The full schedule of concerts appears below.

Many of the artists, including Monica Yunus, Pat Hall, Dennis Nahat, Empire Brass, Justin Greer and Mateusz Kolakowski will, following their performances, conduct workshops with advanced Usdan Center students.

Other special artist workshops include an all-Bach string seminar conducted by Vincent Lionti, violist with the MET Orchestra, culminating in a performance by Usdan¹s String Orchestra IV on July 10; a July 17 and 24 workshop with Carl Strommen, one of America¹s foremost composers of music for student ensembles; and a writing workshop with Broadway playwright Michele Lowe (The Smell Of the Kill, String Of Pearls), on July 20.

Usdan Center has introduced the arts to more than 50,000 Tri-State Area children since its founding in 1968. The Center is open to all young people from age 6 to 18. No audition is needed for most programs ­ rather, admission is based on an expression of interest in the arts. Each summer, 1,600 students are transported to the Center in air-conditioned buses each day. One-third of Usdan¹s students attend on scholarship. Although the mission of the Center is for every child to establish a relationship with the arts, the unique stimulation of the Center has caused many to go on to arts careers. Alumni include singers Jane Monheit and Mariah Carey, actresses Natalie Portman and Lisa Gay Hamilton, and members of major music, theater, and dance ensembles such as the Boston Pops and the New York City Ballet.

In addition to its regular programs, Usdan offers special opportunities for advanced high school-age performing and visual artists. These include Music Staff Internships, a Summer Ballet Intensive, and a year-round program of immersion in the visual arts for selected high school students, the Usdan Honors Art Collective. The Collective, open to talented art students in grades 9 to 11, begins at Usdan Center during the summer, and continues through the following May with bi-weekly meetings at Usdan, and at New York¹s great museums and galleries.

More for Tots

Morah Music has Jewish songs for 'tiny tots' and small children. http://www.morahmusic.com/. Lively and fun for kids. According to Susie Levilev, "Music & Movement 1 & 2 has become sought after by preschool teachers around the world. "

Hundreds of Teens ZING in Gala Concert

Hundreds of Jewish teens from across the United States and Israel will gather in New York for the 16th Annual HaZamir Gala Concert
March 22, 2009
6:00 PM
Congregation Rodeph Sholom
7 West 83rd Street, New York City

Participating HaZamir Chapters
HaZamir Baltimore, MD; HaZamir Bergen County, NJ; HaZamir Boston, MA; HaZamir Cleveland, OH ; HaZamir Greater Washington, DC; HaZamir Houston, TX ; HaZamir Israel ; HaZamir Long Island, NY; HaZamir Los Angeles, CA; HaZamir Manhattan, NY; HaZamir Minneapolis/St.Paul, MN ; HaZamir New Brunswick, NJ; HaZamir North Jersey; HaZamir Philadelphia, PA; HaZamir Pittsburgh, PA; HaZamir Portland, OR; HaZamir Providence, RI;

$36 Tickets at the door
For more information, please call
(212) 870-3339

Brundibar by Perelman in Elkins Park

The Perelman Jewish Day School will present the children's opera Brundibar by Hans Krása, performed by children from the Saligman Middle School Forman Center and members of the Beth Sholom Youth Choir. "Music and Art of Terezin" will be held on Sunday March 22, 2009 at 3pm at Gratz College Auditorium.
Adults $10 and Youth $5.
7605 Old York Rd. Elkins Park, PA 19027

Special Guest, Ela Weissberger Ela Weissberger, the original cat in the Terezín performances of Brundibár is one of the few children to survive the Terezín (Theresienstadt in German) Ghetto. In her book, The Cat with the Yellow Star, Ela shares her memories as a young girl coming of age in Terezín. Ela has also been featured in the 2003 Oscar nominated documentary film, Prisoner of Paradise. Ela will be a guest speaker, personally sharing her experiences in Terezín and performing in Brundibár.

Brundibár is a Czech children’s opera by composer Hans Krása and librettist Adolf Hoffmeister. Written in 1938, the music was smuggled into Terezín, where it was performed 55 times between September 23, 1943 and September 1944. A classic story of good versus evil, set to charming music, tells of a brother and sister, Pepiček and Aninká, who need to raise money to buy milk for their ailing mother. They encounter the evil organ grinder, Brundibár (Bumblebee), who chases them away. With the help of a dog, cat, sparrow and townspeople, they overcome Brundibár and are then able to sing to earn the money needed to cure their mother.

Peter & Ellen Allard present: Songs for a Jewish Head Start

A unique collection of 19 songs was originally written by educator Rita Gold for Head Start. Peter and Ellen Allard, along with fellow songwriters such as Peri Smilow, Josh Nelson, Shira Kline, and Fran Avni, have adapted these songs for use in Jewish early childhood education. The songs teach age-appropriate Jewish values and foster Jewish identity. All of the songs in this collection were written to help children learn the principles of fairness, decency, respect, and caring. Many of the songs were written in response to a child’s question. Other songs were created to lift the spirits of a child who is feeling hurt. Still others were composed to explain to children how they can improve our world. A CD is included. No. 301787 Paperback and Audio CD ISBN-10: 0-8074-1089-6 ISBN-13: 978-0-8074-1089-9 $24.95 each Order at URJbooksandmusic.com Call 212.650.4120 Fax 212.650.4119 or email us at press@urj.org

Concert to Welcome Sderot Children to Boston

Join Shaloh House at an exciting concert by "Oneg Shemesh" of the famous Moshav Band of Israel.
CONCERT TO WELCOME SDEROT CHILDREN
Tuesday, July 8th at 4:00 p.m.
Shaloh House Auditorium
29 Chestnut Hill Ave. (2nd floor )
Brighton, MA 02135


Delicious Refreshments

Join us in warmly welcoming these children to Shaloh House's summer camp. Interact with them, and let them experience first-hand our Ahavat Yisrael for these brave children. You'll be glad you came.
For more information, please call 617-787-2200
Jetlagged but happy, 70 children from Sderot, Israel, were given a heroes' welcome Wednesday, as they arrived at JFK International Airport for a summer in the U.S.

Donning Camp Gan Israel t-shirts, the children were greeted like long lost relatives by the directors of the respective Chabad Gan Israel summer camps that will be hosting them for the month of July.

Months in the planning, it’s been a grassroots effort by Chabad Shluchim who wanted to give Sderot’s children a reprieve from the terror and trauma that has come to define life in Sderot. It’s also a way of allowing these children, who’ve had to grow up all too fast, to enjoy being children for a summer in the U.S. instead of worrying about life and death, and carrying the weight of existential matters on their small shoulders.

“If the terrorists will see us run, there won’t be an Israel left.” These weighty words are not those of an experienced politician. These are the words of 13-year old Chanan Yaakobov of Sderot, whose father was killed by a Qassam rocket last year.

When Rabbi Dan Rodkin, headmaster of Shaloh House Jewish Day School, heard this on a radio interview in his Boston home last year, he thought, “I must do something for that child.”

So in collaboration with the local community, Rodkin arranged for Chanan and others from Sderot children to join the 200 children of Camp Gan Israel of Shaloh House last summer.

A year later, Shluchim around the world call him “the father of the program,” and have worked together to iron out a web of logistics to bring their own quorums of children.

Through the generosity of the Rohr and Tabicinic families, Chabad Shluchim have arranged for some 110 children in all—40 of them going to Gan Israel camps on the West Coast, to enjoy four weeks of relaxation, sports and fun in a secure environment.

REPRINTED FROM CHABAD LUBAVITCH NEWS.

Outrageuosly Hip Jewish Kiddie Rock

ShirLala Family Concert with Shira Kline
Sunday February 3, 2008
10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
at Temple Hillel B'nai Torah, 120 Corey Street, West Roxbury MA
Sing and Dance with Shira Kline
http://templehbt.org/pages/shirlala.html

Alfie's Bark Mitzvah for Young Children

For young children: Alfie's Bark Mitzvah is at www.alfiesbarkmitzvah.com .
Songs from the CD can be heard on the site. Cantor Marcelo Gindlin is the featured singer on the CD. Shari Cohen is the author of 14 books for young people. www.sharicohen.com

Klezmer for Kids! in Seattle

It's in Seattle -- at Hertzl-Ner Tamid --(2 concerts): Klezmer for Kids!
With the Strauss/Warschauer Duo
Sunday, January 22
11 AM to 12 PM
Admission $5.00 per person

Klezmer for Kids!
A fun and participatory introduction to the world of klezmer music and Yiddish culture for school audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Students sing, dance, and ask and answer questions.

And later that same day:

The Strauss/Warschauer Duo in Concert
An interactive experience of klezmer music, Yiddish song and culture.
January 22. 2006
2 to 3:30 PM
$10/adults; $7/kids & seniors

Both concerts will take place at Herzl-Ner Tamid, Mercer Island, 3700 East Mercer Way.
For more information: 206 232-8555 or email tzachi@h-nt.org

Deborah Strauss and Jeff Warschauer are two of the most beloved performers and teachers in the international klezmer and Yiddish music scene. They were both long-time members of the Klezmer Conservatory Band, and have performed with violinist Itzhak Perlman on film and in concert. As the Strauss/Warschauer Duo, they have performed to overwhelming acclaim in such diverse venues as the Philadelphia Folk Festival, the Jewish Culture Festival in Cracow, the Folksbiene Yiddish Theater in New York City, and the Art of Yiddish in Los Angeles with Theodore Bikel. They lead workshops and classes throughout North America and Europe, are on the faculty of KlezKamp, KlezKanada and KlezFest at the University of London, and are curators of the Columbia University Series on Klezmer Music & Yiddish Song.

"Yiddish Celluloid Closet" with 7-piece MetroKlezmer

At Jewish Music & Heritage Festival Wednesday, 9/21 at 8pm
"Yiddish Celluloid Closet" with 7-piece MetroKlezmer lineup
at Makor 35 W 67th, NYC $15
212-601-1000 www.makor.org
Dazzling archival film clips/talk plus live band,
cultural insights and subtexts galore!
With lush reinterpretations of soundtrack tunes...
Classics, lesser-known gems & even Soviet Yiddish newsreel
Info on Eve Sicular's lecture: metropolitanklezmer.com/celluloid.html

Thursday, 9/22 from 5:30pm-6:30pm
Tribeca Hebrew KLEZ FOR KIDZ show
Metropolitan Klezmer special quartet
Pizza included! $20 per kid, parents free.
Limit 25 kids per session
67 Hudson Street / 1 Jay St.
tribecahebrew.org 212.608.0555
music & instrument workshop for kids of all ages!

Union of Reform Judaism releases Manginot, Vols. 1 and 2

COMPLETE JEWISH SONGBOOK FOR CHILDREN: MANGINOT, VOL. 1 & 2
Magnificent Jewish music for children ages 2 to 13, The Complete Jewish Songbook for Children series provides lyrics, chords, and melodies for hundreds of well-loved Jewish songs for children. Ideal for home and classroom, these volumes feature thematic categories (Jewish holidays, Israel, Holocaust, prayer, and more) to help you find appropriate music for any occasion. Introduce children of all ages to the joy of singing with the help of The Complete Jewish Songbook for Children. For information, call 888.489.8242 or visit www.urjpress.com.

THE COMPLETE JEWISH SONGBOOK FOR CHILDREN, VOLUME 1
Featuring more than 200 Jewish songs, this volume includes classics like "Am Yisrael Chai," "Eema-Aba," and "L'chah Dodi." Organized by theme to help you find the right song quickly, this volume includes songs on Jewish holidays, songs about Israel, songs about growing up, and much, much more.
No. 991700 Paperback ISBN 0-8074-0820-4 $39.95

THE COMPLETE JEWISH SONGBOOK FOR CHILDREN, VOLUME 2 (NEW!)
Brand new, this thematically-organized volume features more than 180 contemporary and traditional Jewish songs composed by today's foremost songwriters-Doug Cotler, Debbie Friedman, Jeff Klepper, and more-and newer songwriters like Stacy Beyer, Kim Harris, Lisa Doob, and Jonathan Bayer.
No. 993250 Paperback ISBN 0-8074-0822-0 $39.95
Contact Info: 633 Third Avenue * New York, NY 10017 * 212.650.4120 * 888.489.8242 *

Fax: 212.650.4119

The Sultana Ensemble

Sunday, November 21, 2004. Centenniel Celebration Sunday, Family Sephardic Festival ? Celebrate 350, A Special Collaboration with Congregation Shearith Israel. The Jewish Museum, New York City, 1109 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY, 10126, tel: 212-423-3271 FAX: 212-423-3232. http://thejewishmuseum.org

All day, all ages. General admission to The Jewish Museum is free in honor of the Museum?s centennial.

Sunday, November 21, 2004. 2 p.m. Ages 3 and up.

Concert: The Sultana Ensemble. Yoel Ben-Simhon and The Sultana Ensemble blend Mediterranean music, flamenco, and other sounds into a fascinating experience for the whole family. Dancers and drummers will captivate the audience with their spirited moves and infectious beats! Tickets: $12 per person; $10 Jewish Museum family members, Jewish Museum, New York, NY.

SIMSBURY PUBLIC LIBRARY Celebrates with Klezmer Music

The SIMSBURY PUBLIC LIBRARY as part of it's celebration of the Isaac Bashevis Singer Centennial presents a Celebration of Klezmer Music with Members of the Wholesale Klezmer Band October 3, 2:00 PM Family event Free admission Boy Scout Hall Simsbury, Connecticut Contact: Jackie Hemond Jives98@hotmail.com. (860) 658-7663, (860) 658-6732 (fax) Members of the Wholesale Klezmer Band will be appearing at Boy Scout Hall in Simsbury on Sunday, October 3rd at 2:00 p.m. The concert will be for families and will last about an hour.

View our complete calendar at:< /br> http://www.WholesaleKlezmer.com/calendar.html< /br> Click reload on your browser to be sure you see the most recent version.< /br> Directions:< /br> View a map at: http://www.simsbury.lib.ct.us/map.gif< /br> The Simsbury Public Library is located on Routes 10/202. It is the third building on the LEFT northward past the intersection of Route 167. Boy Scout Hall is very close to the Simsbury Public Library on the same side of the road. It is just south (actually the next building to the library, but set back from the road). It is between the Simsbury Public Library and the large white Congregational Church which is on the corner of Rtes. 10 & 202 and 167. Boy Scout Hall shares the same driveway as the large white church. < /br>< /br> Via I-91: Take Exit 35, Bissell Bridge. Turn onto West Wolcott Avenue (a RIGHT turn from I-91 South, a LEFT turn from I-91 North). Follow West Wolcott Avenue to the intersection of Route 185, and turn RIGHT onto Route 185. Follow Route 185 to the intersection of Routes 10/202, and turn RIGHT onto intersection of Routes 10/202, and turn RIGHT onto Routes 10/202. < /br>< /br> Via I-84: Take Exit 39, Route 4, Farmington. Follow Route 4 to the intersection of Routes 10/202 (Waterville Road), and turn RIGHT onto Routes 10/202 North. At the intersection of Route 44, turn LEFT onto Route 44 West. Continue a short distance, and turn RIGHT onto Routes 10/202 North (Hopmeadow Street).