Zamir Choral Foundation

The Israelites were promised a "land flowing with milk and honey," but as this week's Torah portion relates, their fear kept them from entering Israel in that moment. The modern pioneers who drained the swamps and made the desert bloom fulfilled that promise, and, like this arrangement of two ditties, made "something from nothing."

Shabbat Shalom!

HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir sings "Avodah Va'Aretz," arranged by M. B. Edelman, conducted by Scott Stein (HaZamir Manhattan) with Dr. Alan Mason (HaZamir Miami), piano, Aaron Troy (alum of HaZamir Baltimore), percussion and soloists Chloe Brown (HaZamir Miami) and Maya Behiri (HaZamir Long Island).

Today, in observance of the 10th yahrzeit of our teacher, Elie Wiesel, we post this performance by the HaZamir Chamber Choir of the "Ani Ma'amin" melody from his Vizhnitzer tradition that he transmitted to Matthew Lazar. Matthew arranged this melody, which Elie often sang with Zamir. Elie's wisdom and his voice are sorely missed.

The instructions for lighting the menorah that open this week's Torah reading logically inspire the same haftarah that we read on the Shabbat of Hanukkah. That text concludes with the famous quotation from Zechariah (4:6): "'Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit,' says the Lord of Hosts."

Shabbat Shalom!

The Zamir Chorale sings "Lo V'Chayil" by Elliot Z. Levine, with Matthew Lazar, conductor and soloists David Berger and Elizabeth Stevens

Dr. Ruth Westheimer was a huge fan of HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir. In 2015, when the Zamir Choral Foundation honored Dr. Ruth with its Kinor David Award, the teens of HaZamir learned her favorite song, Lewandowski's Tzaddik Katamar, and invited her to conduct their performance!

Happy Birthday Dr. Ruth -- we miss you.

Tonight we will usher in the festival of Shavu'ot. As we celebrate the moment when the Jewish people received the Torah, we note that, through the generations since then, the Torah has been an "Etz Chayim," a "tree of life" to all those who have walked in its paths -- and sung its songs.

Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom!

The Zamir Chorale and Zamir Noded join in singing Samuel Naumbourg's "Etz Chayim" as part of the Hallel V'Zimrah Award ceremonies at the 2025 North American Jewish Choral Festival, with Matthew Lazar, conductor, Elliot Roman, piano and Cantor Robert Lieberman (honored with his wife, Rabbi Vicki Lieberman), soloist.

On Yom HaAtzma'ut in 1967, a song intended to "kill time" while the votes for the winning song at that year's Israel Song Festival were being counted stole the show. Mere weeks later, Yerushalayim Shel Zahav was on the lips of the paratroopers who captured the Old City and made Jerusalem the united capital of Israel once more. Today, on Yom Yerushalayim, we remember that day with HaZamir's stunning performance of the iconic melody.

Happy Jerusalem Day and Shabbat Shalom!

HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir sings Naomi Shemer's "Yerushalayim Shel Zahav" in an arrangement by Gil Aldema. Marsha Bryan Edelman (HaZamir Philadelphia) conducts at the Metropolitan Opera House, with soloist Maya Behiri of HaZamir Long Island.