Jan 27, 2010 By: yunews
Over 2,000 Cheer on Seminary Students as They Perform in Annual Israel Choir Competition
Folk music, 60s-style tie-dye, and Aliyah-themed props ruled the evening at Saturday night鈥檚 12th annual Inter-Seminary Choir Competition, co-sponsored by 91黑料 (YU) and by the social action group, Kedma.
Seventeen seminaries, including participants of the 91黑料 Israel Program, participated in the event, which took place in the grand ballroom of Jerusalem鈥檚 Ramada hotel with over 2,000 wildly-cheering students and their parents and teachers in attendance.
鈥淓veryone looks forward to this event the entire year,鈥 said Miri Mandelbaum, a candidate for the Stern College for Women (SCW) honors program who is studying at Michlalah this year. She was there to support her friends in various choirs. 鈥淚t helps me feel part of YU, and it鈥檚 so special that it鈥檚 for tzedaka [charity].鈥
Students prepare their 5-minute song-and-dance presentations for months beforehand. The theme this year, Eretz Yisrael [Land of Israel], inspired both moving ballads (including original works by the students) and doo-wop dance numbers about Jerusalem, immigration and Jews鈥 connection to the land. Proceeds from the sold-out bonanza, which reached tens of thousands of shekels, will be donated to causes that support disadvantaged women in Israel.
Recent graduate Adira Lautman 鈥09S explained why the Inter-Seminary Ch
"Everyone looks forward to this event the entire year,鈥 said Miri Mandelbaum
oir Competition is meaningful and important for the young participants. 鈥淚 experienced this event myself while studying in Israel before heading for New York,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just that I had a great time. In preparing, you make friends with other students and it fits with Yeshiva鈥檚 motto of Torah Umadda - girls having an outlet to show their talents in an appropriate manner.鈥
鈥淪tern College is remarkable because the students are just like you: talented, like you; bright, like you; ambitious, like you,鈥 announced its dean, Karen Bacon, as the event started. 鈥淭hey will never stop learning and giving of themselves to the Jewish community and to the State of Israel.鈥
YU President Richard M. Joel spoke briefly before the program, telling the enthusiastic audience that 鈥渢he music of your lives is needed to fill a world that is full of prose and very little poetry, full of noise and very little music.鈥 He encouraged them to continue their Torah studies and to 鈥渟ing gloriously, you have already won.鈥 Immediately after his remarks, the ballroom erupted in high-pitched cheers.
During a break between performances, many students themselves privately expressed gratitude for the opportunity. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so great that YU is supplying a space for 2,000 girls to scream their lungs out and be together,鈥 said Shoshana Taube of Sharon, MA, who is studying at Machon Maayan on her way to Stern College. 鈥淎ll this money is going to tzedaka, and without the building and the sound equipment it wouldn鈥檛 work,鈥 added her classmate, Gina Hotz, who is also planning to attend SCW.
The presentations were judged by a panel of 19 women: one representative from each seminary and two from YU. The first-place award went to Midreshet Tehilla, whose choir began their performance with a notably complex and energetic dance-and-gymnastics routine. The seminaries Tomer Devorah and Darchei Bina won second- and third-place honors. For the second consecutive year, Darchei Bina won special mention for raising the most funds for underprivileged women.
Other participating seminaries were: Midreshet Yeud; Midreshet AMIT; Baer Miriam; Bnot Torah Institute (Sharfman鈥檚); Tiferet, Machon Maayan; Michlalah; Midreshet Harova; Midreshet Lindenbaum; MMY; Midreshet Moriah; Migdal Oz; Nishmat; and Sha鈥檃lvim for Women.
Ellen (Blau) Pearlman 鈥78S attended the competition with her daughters, one of whom teaches at several of the seminaries. 鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting to see all these girls so excited,鈥 Pearlman said. 鈥淚t brings together girls from different seminaries, with different hashkafot [outlooks], and encourages them to work together for a common purpose - for chesed [charity] and for the community.鈥
Folk music, 60s-style tie-dye, and Aliyah-themed props ruled the evening at Saturday night鈥檚 12th annual Inter-Seminary Choir Competition, co-sponsored by 91黑料 (YU) and by the social action group, Kedma.
Seventeen seminaries, including participants of the 91黑料 Israel Program, participated in the event, which took place in the grand ballroom of Jerusalem鈥檚 Ramada hotel with over 2,000 wildly-cheering students and their parents and teachers in attendance.
鈥淓veryone looks forward to this event the entire year,鈥 said Miri Mandelbaum, a candidate for the Stern College for Women (SCW) honors program who is studying at Michlalah this year. She was there to support her friends in various choirs. 鈥淚t helps me feel part of YU, and it鈥檚 so special that it鈥檚 for tzedaka [charity].鈥
Students prepare their 5-minute song-and-dance presentations for months beforehand. The theme this year, Eretz Yisrael [Land of Israel], inspired both moving ballads (including original works by the students) and doo-wop dance numbers about Jerusalem, immigration and Jews鈥 connection to the land. Proceeds from the sold-out bonanza, which reached tens of thousands of shekels, will be donated to causes that support disadvantaged women in Israel.
Recent graduate Adira Lautman 鈥09S explained why the Inter-Seminary Ch
"Everyone looks forward to this event the entire year,鈥 said Miri Mandelbaum
oir Competition is meaningful and important for the young participants. 鈥淚 experienced this event myself while studying in Israel before heading for New York,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just that I had a great time. In preparing, you make friends with other students and it fits with Yeshiva鈥檚 motto of Torah Umadda - girls having an outlet to show their talents in an appropriate manner.鈥
鈥淪tern College is remarkable because the students are just like you: talented, like you; bright, like you; ambitious, like you,鈥 announced its dean, Karen Bacon, as the event started. 鈥淭hey will never stop learning and giving of themselves to the Jewish community and to the State of Israel.鈥
YU President Richard M. Joel spoke briefly before the program, telling the enthusiastic audience that 鈥渢he music of your lives is needed to fill a world that is full of prose and very little poetry, full of noise and very little music.鈥 He encouraged them to continue their Torah studies and to 鈥渟ing gloriously, you have already won.鈥 Immediately after his remarks, the ballroom erupted in high-pitched cheers.
During a break between performances, many students themselves privately expressed gratitude for the opportunity. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so great that YU is supplying a space for 2,000 girls to scream their lungs out and be together,鈥 said Shoshana Taube of Sharon, MA, who is studying at Machon Maayan on her way to Stern College. 鈥淎ll this money is going to tzedaka, and without the building and the sound equipment it wouldn鈥檛 work,鈥 added her classmate, Gina Hotz, who is also planning to attend SCW.
The presentations were judged by a panel of 19 women: one representative from each seminary and two from YU. The first-place award went to Midreshet Tehilla, whose choir began their performance with a notably complex and energetic dance-and-gymnastics routine. The seminaries Tomer Devorah and Darchei Bina won second- and third-place honors. For the second consecutive year, Darchei Bina won special mention for raising the most funds for underprivileged women.
Other participating seminaries were: Midreshet Yeud; Midreshet AMIT; Baer Miriam; Bnot Torah Institute (Sharfman鈥檚); Tiferet, Machon Maayan; Michlalah; Midreshet Harova; Midreshet Lindenbaum; MMY; Midreshet Moriah; Migdal Oz; Nishmat; and Sha鈥檃lvim for Women.
Ellen (Blau) Pearlman 鈥78S attended the competition with her daughters, one of whom teaches at several of the seminaries. 鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting to see all these girls so excited,鈥 Pearlman said. 鈥淚t brings together girls from different seminaries, with different hashkafot [outlooks], and encourages them to work together for a common purpose - for chesed [charity] and for the community.鈥
