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May 12, 2006
Capturing the Israeli spirit
Yom Ha'atzmaut crowd enjoys Soul Ensemble at Chan Centre.
ALEX KLINER
An exuberant evening of spirited song, phenomenal musicianship
and an extraordinary display by multi-talented performers ... a
single sentence summarizing my experience as part of the large audience
that gathered at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts to celebrate
Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's 58th Independence Day. Yet, as a
reviewer, it's incumbent upon me to write more ... so I will!
As the 1,850-seat hall began to rapidly fill on Tuesday, May 2,
it was heartening to see that among the heads of gray and graying
hair, a fair portion of the audience consisted of children, youth
and young adults. It seems Israel still retains it's relevance to
all ages within our community. A good sign, I'd say, for things
to come and to expect from our community's younger generations vis-à-vis
the Jewish homeland. What's more, the genuine enthusiasm during
the program of the two teenage girls sitting in front of me was
reflected around the auditorium by other young people. Few seemed
to be doing their parents a favor by being there.
Before the Yom Ha'atzmaut festivities, which were sponsored by dozens
of community organizations, the program began with the conclusion
to Yom Hazikaron ... the day of remembrance commemorating
both those who had died defending Israel and those who lost their
lives to terrorism. Geoffrey Druker, chair of the Yom Hazikaron
committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, led a moment
of silence, pierced only momentarily, yet poignantly, by a baby's
cry.
Youth then took centre stage with O Canada and Hatikvah, led by
Andrew Cohen, accompanied on the piano by Doran Satanove. Youth
again took centre stage, with Samantha Jeroff and Megan Emanuel
performing A Nation of Heroes, a dramatic reading augmented
with slides sketching the birth, history, achievements and presence
of modern Israel as a force among the free nations of the world.
Following this were brief welcoming addresses by Bernard Pinsky,
Federation president, and Stephen Gaerber, co-chair of the Yom Ha'atzmaut
committee, who introduced the featured performers: Shlomo Gronich
and the Soul Ensemble, comprised of Gronich, Michal Gronich, Hanan
Bar-Sela and Boris Sichon. Performing for well over an hour, they
delivered all that was promised ... "a wide variety of musical
styles emphasizing authentic Jewish music in original arrangement
... encompass[ing] Jewish liturgical and soul music, Gypsy melodies,
rock and jazz improvisation, ancient tribal and original compositions."
The patently appreciative audience even got a medley of Fiddler
on the Roof favorites.
In its spirit, the Soul Ensemble was unmistakably Israeli and, in
its vitality, not unlike the country it represents ... a vitality
that 58 years ago no doubt helped create the Jewish state and, today,
continues to ensure its survival.
Alex Kliner has a varied background in theatre, education
and community service.
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