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of ideas arid enthusiasm in the Jewish
outdo anyone. Everyone is just there
choral music world."
purely for the love of Jewish singing
Larry Katkowsky, president of the
— Jewish choral singing."
Zamir Chorale of Metropolitan
The Zamir Foundation estimates
Detroit, agrees.
that 60-70 percent of the participants
"The festival is the only opportuni-
return to subsequent festivals. That's a
ty we have to rub shoulders with other
pretty high percentage for a prime
Jewish choral groups across the coun-
vacation week each summer. "It's a re-
try," he says. Several members of the
emergence," says Epstein, "When I
troupe, including conductor Ben
was growing up, there wasn't anything
Cohen, have attended.
like this."
Veteran festival participant Joy
For some, the festival brings more
Rosner was so struck by her first expe-
than just singing in a large group. "I
riences that she brought her husband,
spent 20 years of my life believing I
mother-in-law, and college-age son to
couldn't sing at all," says New Jersey
the festival. All have come
away impressed. "It's been
extraordinarily inspirational for
me," says Rosner, a member of
Cantor Richard Cohn's home
choir. "It's an experience that
brings people together, brings
you close to the past and the
future through the music you
sing."
For Stephen Glass, people
like Rosner are the reason he
comes to the Catskills. "A lot of
people have a dear love for
[choral singing], but they're
doctors, teachers, insurance
salesmen," he says.
Glass, a 34-year-old former
Londoner, is the music director
for Congregation Shaar
Hashomayim in Montreal. "It's
a great gift to spend time mak-
ing music. I try to go in there
and say, 'This is music therapy
for the soul.'"
The Zamir Chorale of Metropolitan Detroit:
Participation in the event is
The group hopes to perform at the North
so inspiring, the staff doesn't
American Jewish Choral Festival in 2001.
seem to mind that they are still
considered "volunteers." No one
native Bob Doniger. This year will be
receives any remuneration, other than
his eighth at the festival.
"When I started singing, the notes
room and board.
on the page meant absolutely nothing
"It's a labor of love," says Cantor
Nathan Lam, whose participation in
to me. Today I can look at a piece of
the festival is squeezed in to his busy
music and start hearing the music just
looking at the notes. I can feel the
schedule as cantor of the Stephen S.
music and see where it's going, by
Wise Temple in Los Angeles and his
reading it. That's a lot of what I've
burgeoning business as voice teacher
learned [there].
to the stars.
"The festival is a great experience
The festival is divided into a num-
for everyone who comes. Everyone
ber of different workshops. Each year,
festival organizers Matthew Lazar,
melds together. The most important
),
Marsha Edelman, Daniel Freelander
thing is the singing.
and Josee Wolff tweak the workshops
"It's a model of clal Yisrael,"
explains Eleanor Epstein, the founder
and the structure of the week based on
and director of Zemer Chai, an inde-
suggestions they have received from
pendent Jewish community choir in
both participants and staff
Washington, D.C., and a staff mem-
This year, festival goers can opt for
spending three intensive days working
ber at the festival. "There are people
there whose only Jewish affiliation is
on one topic, ranging from learning to
through the singing, right through to
sight-read music to learning to chant
the centrist Orthodox. It's our corn-
Hafrorah or Torah to honing conduct-
ing skills.
mon heritage. No one is trying to

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Detroit Jewish News

79