“Walk Humbly with Your God”: Jewish Wisdom in Song
Press Contact: Tom Hopkins
Office: (212) 678-8950
Email: tohopkins@jtsa.edu
November 14, 2016, New York, NY
H. L. Miller Cantorial School and College of Jewish Music of the Jewish Theological Seminary, Congregation Beth El of Bethesda, Maryland, and Congregation Har Shalom of Potomac, Maryland, are pleased to present “Walk Humbly with Your God: Jewish Wisdom in Song,” a concert of Jewish music celebrating the timeless values of justice, kindness, humility, and spirit.
The program, to be held at Har Shalom, will feature diverse musical genres—from traditional chazzanut to contemporary folk music—culminating in the world premiere of two pieces by the gifted young composer Jonathan Leshnoff, commissioned by the John Leopold and Martha Dellheim Endowment Fund. Leshnoff has been described by the New York Times as “a leader of contemporary American lyricism” and praised by the Washington Post as one of the “gifted young composers” of this generation. These new works explore the prayerful wisdom of the Ashkenazi cantorial tradition and of Jewish mysticism.
In keeping with the spirit and mission of the John Leopold and Martha Dellheim Endowment Fund, “Walk Humbly with Your God” will feature the inspiring voices of both mentors and students: cantors Nancy Abramson, Henrique Ozur Bass, and Matthew Klein, as well as H. L. Miller Cantorial School students Gil Ezring, Josh Kowitz, and Sarah Levine. Dr. Alan Mason will accompany the performers on piano.
The concert is free and open to the public; advance registration is not necessary. A reception will follow.
Sunday, December 4, 2016
3:00 p.m.
Congregation Har Shalom
11510 Falls Road
Potomac, MD 20854
About H. L. Miller Cantorial School
H. L. Miller Cantorial School and College of Jewish Music is home to some of the most accomplished and creative faculty in Jewish and religious music and voice. Its educators are composers, cantors, and artists who prepare and guide new clergy to lead and perform, and to preserve and teach Jewish musical tradition and prayer to new generations of congregants. Students spend five years learning and integrating the skills that will allow them to serve the Jewish community as cantors and leaders. The training includes performance preparation as well as studies in nusah, prayer, text skills, and general music.
About the John Leopold and Martha Dellheim Endowment Fund
Created by John Leopold Dellheim (z”l) and in honor of his mother, Martha (z”l), the Dellheim Endowment Fund stands for two of the most important elements of Jewish musical training: cultivation by a mentor and the live handing down of a tradition. The Fund is committed to Jewish sacred music through research, education, and publication, emphasizing Western European/Ashkenazic traditions; the performance of Jewish sacred music in non-synagogue and synagogue settings in order to reach the widest possible audiences; and the mentorship of the next generation of cantors. The Dellheim Endowment Fund supports the continued joining of cantorial masters with eager students through the John Leopold and Martha Dellheim Internship Program at the H. L. Miller Cantorial School.
About John Leopold Dellheim
John Dellheim was a Holocaust survivor who became a pioneer computer programmer at IBM. He deeply loved Judaism and Jewish music, and endowed the John Leopold and Martha Dellheim Internship Program and Concert Series in order to bring Western cantorial music to synagogues around the United States via the mentors, alumni, and students of the H. L. Miller Cantorial School, thereby perpetuating the performance and transmission of Jewish sacred music to future generations. The John Leopold and Martha Dellheim Endowment Fund initiative includes an internship program that pairs students with mentors in the field, and expands the school’s opportunities to teach concert planning, enhance repertoire coaching, and present student performances. We are also proud to be presenting at this concert the first piece commissioned through the Dellheim Endowment.
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