Emotional concert held in La Jolla for the IDF

By Eileen Wingard

LA JOLLA, California — The “musical journey honoring the State of Israel” presented by the local chapter of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) provided our community with a most memorable evening of vocal Jewish music.

Had we only been able to experience the golden sounds of IDF Chief Cantor Shai Abramson, that would have been sufficient. Had we only heard one other vocalist along with him, the sweet-voiced Cantor Netanel Baram, currently at Young Israel Synagogue of Beverly Hills, that would have been sufficient. But we were also treated to the velvet voice of Jonathan Valverde, Director of Latinos for Israel, and a 25-piece professional orchestra under the skilled direction of the Israeli maestro, Ofir Sobol. What an aural feast it was!

In addition, slides and videos were shown to accompany many of the selections. One of the most poignant was the footage of a thin and gaunt Gilad Shalit, coming home from five years of captivity in Gaza while Shai Abramson sang “Bring Him Home” from Les Miserables.
The first half of the program included prayers and psalms, some in the traditional Eastern European nusach (style), harkening back to cantorial stars of the early part of the twentieth century, such as Yossele Rosenblatt and Zevel Kwartin.

After a rousing “Stars Spangled Banner,” the program opened with the Shehecheyanu, the prayer of thanksgiving for being alive, being sustained and reaching this day. It was soulfully intoned by Abramson and Baram. Before intermission, all three vocalists performed Cantor Sol Zim’s Avinu Shebashamayim, the traditional prayer for the welfare of the State of Israel, written in 1936 by the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi, Dr. Isaac Halevi Herzog. Sol Zim wrote the music in 1988, in honor of Israel’s 40th anniversary. The singing by the three men grew in intensity as the verses and chorus continued, and, when the audience was asked to participate, we all joined in the tapestry of sound, expressing thanks for allowing Jews to return to our land as a free and sovereign people.

The second half of the program included an orchestral selection, Wedding March, by Joel Engel, the leader of Russia’s Jewish Folk Music Society and composer of some of Israel’s best-known songs. The klezmer-inspired march, nicely executed under Sobol’s baton, served as a welcome contrast to the vocal selections.

The closing presentation was a rousing medley of Israeli songs about Jerusalem and the hope for peace.  All three voices combined in the spirited finale.

Concluding the program were the three featured artists leading the audience in Hatikva. The chorus of 600 – yes, every seat in Sherwood Hall was filled – joined in.  There was the special “ruach” (spirit) of being part of a vibrant and dedicated Jewish community.

The program’s master of ceremonies was the US Navy Jewish Chaplain, Captain Irving A. Elson. Also offering brief remarks was Julian Josephson, who serves both as national president of the FIDF and chair of the San Diego chapter. The event chairman was Jacqueline S. Gmach, former Program Director of the Lawrence Family JCC, with co-chairs, Jenny Josephson and Marilyn Smiedt.

A quote from Yoav Talmi, Music Director of the Israel Chamber Orchestra and composer of the IDF March, appeared on the program,
“Music is the most ancient of all arts.  From his first existence, man has expressed his pain, suffering, love and joy through music.  Being an abstract art, music was able – even without words – to express a wide spectrum of feelings and emotions that has influenced the Jewish people.  The IDF is an integral part of Israeli society.  Therefore, the deep spiritual need for music as an art of communication exists in strong measure.  The music planned for this special program will demonstrate this somewhat less-known side of the Israel Defense Forces.”

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Wingard is a freelance writer and retired violinist with the San Diego Symphony.  She may be contacted at Eileen.wingard@sdjewishworld.com