From Generation to Generation

The Zamir Chorale celebrated its 50th anniversary this past Sunday with a Jubilee Concert at Carnegie Hall. This Chorale “promotes Jewish choral music as a vehicle to inspire Jewish life, culture and continuity” and this weekend’s concert was a celebration of perseverance in the face of adversity, of the unifying power of song, and of the continuity of Judaism and Jewish music throughout generations.

The program began with performances by two Zamir alumni choirs. The first was conducted by Zamir’s founding musical director, Stanley Sperber, and the second by Mati Lazar, current Zamir musical director. The program then continued with performances by the current Zamir Chorale. Next in line was HaZamir, the international Jewish teen choir, a project of the Zamir Choral Foundation. The concert ended with the resounding sound of all 350 choir members singing in unison the anthem of the Foundation, entitled HaZamir, conducted by both Sperber and Lazar.

One song sung by HaZamir was entitled “L’dor Vador”, which translates to “from generation to generation” and sings of the power of music to transcend years and generations. As we study the arts, I think this is an extremely powerful notion of which we should constantly consider and remind ourselves.

Regardless of the art form, art crosses languages, races, and years. It is an extremely powerful unifying factor. I know that as I stood at Carnegie, I felt the potency of this connection, and I was brought to tears.

Please enjoy some segments of the concert, the first being a performance by a Zamir alumni choir and the second being HaZamir’s rendition of “L’dor Vador”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpmIpwRf58U