by Debra Rubin
NJJN Bureau Chief/Middlesex

June 10, 2008

In a rousing show of enthusiasm, more than 2,000 people gathered at the State Theatre in New Brunswick May 22 to celebrate Israel’s 60th anniversary through song and dance.

The sold-out program, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County, featured performances by hundreds of children and adults from synagogue choirs and religious schools. It took place on Lag B’Omer, a festive day marking a break in the symbolic mourning period between Passover and Shavuot.

Among the highlights was a slide show, prepared by Mordechai Bermann of East Brunswick, that traced the history of modern Israel from the Holocaust to the present. Martin Raffel of East Brunswick, senior associate executive director of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, narrated.

Singing together were students from Solomon Schechter Day School of Raritan Valley, the Clearbrook Adult Choir, and the Makhelat HaMercaz Jewish Choir of Central New Jersey. They were accompanied by a community orchestra led by the event’s musical director Hazan Sheldon Levin of Metuchen’s Congregation Neve Shalom.

The Young Judea Dance Troupe performed as the orchestra played “Bamsila L’Be’ersheva.” The event’s artistic director, Jules Frankel, spoke about Israel’s absorption of Soviet and Ethiopian immigrants before picking up his guitar to perform an original composition.

The spectacle impressed Asaf Shariv, Israel’s consul general in New York.

“I have been to many, many 60th anniversary celebrations, but I think this one is really special,” he said.

Shariv also spoke of the shared values between Israel and the United States, Israel’s technological and cultural contributions to the world, and its desire “to extend the hand of peace to our neighbors.”

“We are doing great,” said Shariv. “We thank you all for your friendship and support.”

He received one of the evening’s loudest rounds of applause when, after rattling off a list of Israelis in high-level positions in government, education, and business, he added, “Where else but Israel would all these people be women?”

The program began with greetings from Marlene Herman, chair of the federation’s Israel at 60 planning cabinet, who urged “the Zionists here” to continue to show their pride and support for the Jewish state by going to the Salute to Israel Parade in Manhattan on June 1.

As the lights dimmed, Rabbi Eliot Malomet of the Highland Park Conservative Temple-Congregation Anshe Emeth came onstage blowing a shofar. Other shofar blowers, including Alan Borck, Scott Gursky, Steve Reich, Jack Schwartz, and Jerry Yochelson, dispersed in the balcony section and other spots throughout the theater sounded their blasts. Children wearing blue and white T-shirts and waving Israeli flags began streaming down the aisles onto the stage.

The festivities ended with audience members rising to their feet, swaying and waving light wands, for the singing of “Hatikva.”

‘A wonderful tribute’

Danny Greenberg of Kendall Park gave the concert a thumbs up. “It was great to have everyone in the community celebrating Israel together,” he said.

Aaron Rosloff of South Brunswick agreed. “It was an absolutely wonderful, wonderful show,” he said.

Terri Rosenberg of Highland Park, a member of the Highland Park temple and Congregation Ahavas Achim in Highland Park, said she performed in the celebration out of a love for both Jewish music and Israel.

“It was important to me to celebrate Israel’s 60th anniversary, and it should be important to all Jewish Americans,” she added.

Stefanie Shapiro of Woodbridge, who performed with the choir from Temple Emanu-El in Edison, said she participated not only to support Israel but also to support Jewish unity.

“The one thing all Jewish people agree on, what we all have in common, is our support for Israel,” said Shapiro.

Eleven-year-old Casey Quinto of Metuchen said his performing with Emanu-El “meant a lot to me because I was surrounded by my friends from the Jewish community.”

And eight-year-old Dean Felsenberg, whose family belongs to the East Brunswick Jewish Center, said, as he left the concert, that it was “lots and lots of fun.”

Those who organized and performed in the musical extravaganza were also pleased with the results.

Levin described the evening as “wonderful” and “spectacular,” adding, “It outdid everything we could have hoped for. I couldn’t be happier. We celebrated Israel and everybody had a good time.”

Stage director Bobbi Blumenthal was “thrilled with everything.”

“It was a pleasure working with all the people involved,” she said. “It was also a pleasure working with the crew from the State Theatre, who were cooperative and helpful. I think it was a wonderful tribute and I was honored to be a part of it.”

Concert coordinator Karl Kaplan termed the evening “sensational” and pointed out that despite all the performers being volunteers who had not rehearsed together before that day, it came off without a glitch.

“It was a lot of work, but it was just marvelous,” said Kaplan. “And we’re going to do it again in 10 years.”

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