Ma'ale Adumim Youth Symphony
Ma'ale Adumim Youth SymphonyShahar Azran

On Wednesday, December 12th, the Israeli Ma'ale Adumim Youth Symphony, two Manhattan’s Ramaz School choirs and the Kol Ram community choir joined together in collaboration of music and and song at historic Carnegie Hall in New York City in a Celebration of Jewish Unity. WPIX sportscaster Andy Adler served as emcee for this unique event. The talented youth were brought together by Bnai Zion, a U.S.-based non-profit that identifies and funds capital projects focused on the needs of the most vulnerable in Israel.

Directed by renowned cellist Benjamin Shapira, the Ma'ale Adumim Youth Symphony performed in front of a sold-out audience, selections from Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide” and “West Side Story,” as well as works by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Rafi Kadishson. These talented young musicians came from Israeli schools across Ma’ale Adumim and Jerusalem. At the George W. Schaeffer Music Conservatory, named after Bnai Zion Board Chairman George Schaeffer, these students have the opportunity to study under some of Israel’s leading performing artists, including Shapira, who is the school’s director, and Haifa Symphony Concert Master Eli Shulman.

Led by veteran choir director Daniel Henkin, the Ramaz Upper School Choir, Chamber Choir and Kol Ram Community Choir from Manhattan's KJ Community presented a program of classic and contemporary Jewish and Hebrew songs. The students who sing in The Ramaz School’s choirs and the Kol Ram performers are talented vocalists who are dedicated to the Jewish community and Israel.

Daniel Henkin leads choirs from Ramaz Upper School at Carnegie Hall
Daniel Henkin leads choirs from Ramaz Upper School at Carnegie HallShahar Azran

In the 110 years of its existence, Bnai Zion has spearheaded more than 100 humanitarian initiatives focused on the needs of most vulnerable communities in Israeli society building hospitals, schools, universities, villages for at-risk youth and special-needs children, residences for veterans and Holocaust survivors, and much more.

Moreover, Bnai Zion has helped found and launch a number of other prominent organizations, such as the America-Israel Friendship League and Magen David Adom, Israel’s equivalent of the Red Cross. Bnai Zion and its supporters are committed to continue building and developing meaningful responses to Israel’s major challenges; - responses that produce the most tangible results.

Jan Kiderman, an Executive Board Member of Bnai Zion enthusiastically commented: “I fell in love with Bnai Zion’s mission of improving the lives of the people of Israel and building a more inclusive, healthy, and vibrant Israel. I realized that the organization is a hidden giant in Jewish and Israel philanthropy and decided to do my small part in helping the organization grow and expand its important work. Bnai Zion is now over a century old. In that time, it has very quietly built dozens of significant humanitarian and capital projects in Israel, and I know that our supporters in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington D.C. and right here in New York City are very proud to see what we are doing today to strengthen Israel, and to plant the seeds of unity for the Jewish community at large. We are entering a new era of engagement where students in particular but also, others are voting their conscience by standing up, speaking out and collaborating to make a difference. This coming together of some of the most talented youth in Israel and the United States is a sign of great hope and aspiration for each of us that supports Bnai Zion's great work.”

Benjamin Shapira leads Ma'ale Adumim Youth Symphony at Carnegie Hall
Benjamin Shapira leads Ma'ale Adumim Youth Symphony at Carnegie HallShahar Azran