By: Cantor Mayer
Remember the old joke about a tourist asking a New Yorker for directions: “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” Answer: “Practice, practice, practice!”
Well, there’s a new twist to this old joke. “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” Answer: “Join HAZAMIR!”
HAZAMIR is the International Jewish High School Choir. At the end of March, HaZamir Providence*, our own local chapter, had their 16th opportunity to participate in the 21st Annual HaZamir Festival at Carnegie Hall. Thirteen of our teens traveled and sang at this year’s festival. They rehearsed 2- 3.5 hours a week since October, learned 10 pieces of music and committing them to memory. They learned the same music as 300 other teens in 24 HaZamir chapters- 22 in the USA and 2 from Israel.
Spending 3 nights together in a Catskills hotel (yes, there is still a Kosher hotel left in the Catskills!), these 300 teens PRACTICED, PRACTICED, PRACTICED! They had an extraordinary bonding experience – they were brought together because of music and being Jewish. That combination created magical moments, during Shabbat, during rehearsals and during their free time.
And then, on Sunday morning, we drove from the Catskills to Manhattan. Imagine 300 Jewish teens, singing their hearts out on the stage of Carnegie Hall. We truly had a spectacular time!
By the way, how do you get to Carnegie Hall?
*HaZamir Providence is very blessed to be underwritten by The Sylvia Zimet Memorial Kol Kesem HaZamir Endowment , which was established by Dianne and Martin Newman in memory of Dianne’s beloved mother.
Temple Emanuel Providence 