Shir Ba’Emek visits JCDSRI

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Arms around each other, swaying in unison, the award-winning performers from Shir Ba’Emek and students from the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island in Providence joyfully sang together on a sunny spring morning. And while they’ve won singing competitions and performed throughout Israel and abroad, the members of Shir Ba’Emek were thrilled to discover that JCDSRI students were familiar with so many Israeli songs, declaring their May 1 visit to the school one of the highlights of their New England trip.

Shir Ba’Emek is composed of singers who are from the Israeli city of Afula and the Gilboa region. They are students, mothers and professionals who rehearse every Tuesday evening at the Afula Music Conservatory. The group has a repertoire that ranges from traditional Hebrew songs to modern pop. Amir Cohen, who helped make the group’s trip to the U.S. possible, arranged the performance at JCDSRI (where his children were students years ago).

“How would you like it if these guys had a private concert at the school?” he asked. “Love it!” we answered.

The night before arriving at JCDSRI, the 16-member group performed at the New Bedford Whaling Museum – the featured act at the Jewish Federation of Greater New Bedford’s celebration in honor of Israel’s 70th birthday.

Partnership 2Gether was launched in Afula/Gilboa in 1995, twinning the city of Afula and the Gilboa Regional Council with the Southern New England Consortium (SNEC), comprising  11 communities in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Cohen is the executive director of the New Bedford Federation and is coordinator of SNEC.

Submitted by the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island