In the army I was a singer in the performing arts groups. I met her at the main intersection of my life as a young woman, as Bat Ella and also as a person that was looking for her identity as a Jewish Israeli person.Įver since I can remember, I was on stage. I was in the beginning of my life, I had just moved from Israel to the States with my boyfriend who has since become my husband. New York Jewish Week: Can you tell me a little bit about your relationship with Debbie Friedman?īat Ella: I met her around 30 years ago. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. The New York Jewish Week caught up with Bat Ella ahead of her concert in New York to chat about how Debbie Friedman and her music changed the singer’s life, and how she hopes to continue that legacy in Israel.īat Ella, an Israeli folk musician who has recorded five solo albums, is bringing her tribute to Debbie Friedman to Manhattan’s Park Avenue Synagogue. Cantor Azi Schwartz, who will also take part, is excited about bringing Friedman’s music to PAS, where in his 13 years he has showcased liturgical, traditional music. To mark 11 years since Friedman died, Bat Ella will return to the United States to perform her own versions of Friedman’s music at Park Avenue Synagogue on the Upper East Side, on June 14. Her goal, she said, is to bring Friedman’s inclusive, egalitarian philosophy to Israeli Judaism - a goal that Friedman shared with Bat Ella during her lifetime. In the years since Friedman’s death in 2011 at age 59, Bat Ella has translated Friedman’s songs into Hebrew, channeling her joyful and prayerful melodies and putting women at the forefront of her own songs. 2066.Bat Ella and Friedman sang together around the United States for decades after meeting in the early 90s. For general questions contact the Bennett Center for Judaic Studies at or 20 ext. In addition to honoring Carl Bennett, the concert will honor the memory of Harry D. This concert is complimentary, thanks to the generosity of Doug and Sharon Karp. We have been truly blessed to have his support.” "I can’t think of a better way to celebrate a man who has given so much to further Jewish causes and culture over the years. “This year’s concert will be our opportunity to honor the Bennett Center’s founder, Carl Bennett, on the occasion of his 100 th birthday," she said. He currently serves as senior cantor at the Park Avenue Synagogue, the largest conservative Jewish community in New York City, and the flagship of Jewish liturgical music in North America.īennett Center Director Ellen Umansky, PhD, is especially delighted to host Cantor Schwartz this year. This online event is part of the Daniel Pearl World Music Days Concert series, a network of more than 6,000 musical performances held annually in October to honor the life of the slain Wall Street Journal writer Daniel Pearl, who believed that music is a powerful force that can bring people together.īorn and raised in Israel, Azi Schwartz attended Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute and earned a master's degree in classical singing and conducting from the Mannes School of Music at the New School in New York City. Noted Cantor Azi Schwartz’s music is beloved by both Jewish and non-Jewish audiences, for the emotion it evokes and for Cantor Schwartz’s artistry. On Wednesday, October 28, Fairfield's Daniel Pearl World Music Days virtual celebration will feature “Cantor Azi Schwartz in Concert: From Bimah to Broadway.” The performance will take place at 7:30 p.m.
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