Voices Of Honor
Sixteen U-M students choose to raise their voices Jewishly.
about working with a group and being
a part of a team," said Casey Cohen,
one of KHK's business managers and a
senior from Pennsylvania.
The non-Jewish community also
responds very well to their performanc-
es, KHK members say, and it makes
them proud to touch people — Jewish
or not — with their music.
Last month, the group traveled to
New York City to perform at the
Festival of Collegiate Performing Arts,
held at the Jewish Theological Seminary
of America.
The group will also perform their
end-of-the-year concert at 8:30 p.m.
April 2 at U-M Hillel. There is a
charge.
LESLIE ROTT
Special to the Jewish News
Ann Arbor
hey come from all over the
country, from diverse back-
grounds and areas of study. But
there is something that the 16 members
of Kol Hakavod have in common: vocal
talent and a love and appreciation for
Jewish culture.
Established in 1994, the University of
Michigan student group was based on
the Jewish a cappella choir at Columbia
University, "Pizmon." Today, Kol
Hakavod (Voice of Honor) has found
its own identity as U-M's Jewish a cap-
pella group.
"We were the first Jewish a cappella
group in the Midwest, and one of the
first few a cappella groups at Michigan,"
said Victoria Roth, who is one of Kol
Hakavod's business managers and a
sophomore from Cincinnati.
KHK performs with 14 other U-M a
cappella (without accompaniment)
groups and it puts on two 90-minute
concerts at U-M Hillel as well. The
group also has performed in Metro
Detroit for JARC, the Jewish Academy
and Temple Kol Ami.
Auditions for the group are intense,
but once a student becomes a member,
he does not have to audition again.
Practice sessions are held for two hours
on Sundays and Wednesday at Hillel.
7
Leslie Rott of Huntington Woods is a
University of Michigan sophomore
majoring in sociology and English.
Scene Happenings
For college age through 30-something.
Send information to
ahitsky@theje-vvishnews.com
Club Shushan At SZ
Congregation Shaarey Zedek
Southfield is hosting a young-adults-
only Purim party following the 6:45
p.m. megillah reading Thursday,
March 24.
Club Shushan will open at 8 p.m.
and include live entertainment and a
guest appearance by MC Serch of
WJLB Radio. Food and drink will be
available for purchase.
The party is for ages 18 and older,
❑
Kol HaKavod: Front row, Casey Cohen, Annette Grynspan, Stephanie Persin,
Stephanie Ablowitz, Jane Kleyman, Tori Roth, Alli Gutwillig, Allie Willensky and
Emily Friedman. Back row, Ben Hamburger, Etan Klein, John McLaughlin, Toby
Singer, Jason Garden, Jason Claude and Noah Liebman.
Auditions, which are held at the
beginning of the school year and, often
times, again at the beginning of winter
semester, are composed of several phas-
es. Prospective members perform a solo,
sight read, and learn part of one of the
20 songs that KHK currently performs.
"This lets us hear how well they
blend in the ensemble," said Tobias
Singer, KHK's music manager and a
senior from Ann Arbor.
When a person becomes part of the
group, a whole new world of friendship
opens. "Kol Hakavod is not just a cap-
pella. We have formed a tight-knit
group of friends that happens to sing,
dance, and act silly together," said
Stephanie Persin, a junior from West
Bloomfield.
Most of the group members see KHK
as a great diversion from their school-
work. "I don't really have to juggle.
KHK is fun, and allows me to take a
break from school," said Jason Claude, a
sophomore from New York.
The lessons that members of KHK
learn go far beyond musical notes, tone
and pitch. "Being in KIRK has not only
helped me become a better singer, but it
has taught me tremendous amounts
but drinking is limited to 21 and
older. The event is sponsored by the
Sidney Katzman Memorial Fund.
available, due to funding cutbacks.
Those who applied unsuccessfully in
the past must register again.
Birthright Registration Opens
New York — Taglit-Birthright Israel is
open for registration for May and June
trips at www.birthrightisrael.com .
The free 10-day trips to Israel are
available to young Jewish adults, age
18-26, who have not previously visited
Israel on a peer, educational trip.
This spring-summer season, 6,200
participants from North America will
tour Israel, meet their Israeli peers,
and learn about the history and cul-
ture of the Jewish state.
Fewer spots than last year will be
March 10 Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
Federation Young Adult Division
meets for drinks at Hard Rock Cafe in
Detroit and, at 9 p.m., skate at the
Campus Martius ice rink. Free skat-
ing, cocoa and coffee provided by
Caribou. RSVP: Jon Goldstein, (248)
203-1471 or goldstein@jfmd.org.
March 20 Sunday, 11 a.m. Free YAD
concert with singer/songwriter Joel
Frankel, For parents, with children up
to age 8. Light refreshments for chil-
dren. RSVP by March 14: Jonathan
To contact Kol Hakavod, e-mail
khk.members@umich.edu.
In Repertoire
Kol HaKavod has 20 songs in its
repertoire, but is limited to six or
seven at most performances. The
90-minute concerts average 12-
15 songs.
The group's most popular
songs are:
• Lechi Lach
• Mizmor Shir
• Toy l'Hodot
• Kehilah Kedoshah
• Od Yavoh
• Wonderwall
• Sweetness
Goldstein, (248) 203-1471 or
goldstein@jfmd.org .
METRO HILLEL
March 22 Tuesday, 7 p.m. Graduates
and Professionals 21+ Pre-Purim
Casino Night at MGM Grand,
Detroit. Meet at the Oak Park JCC
for pizza dinner and carpool. Bring
canned food donation. RSVP: Lesley
Weiss, (313) 577-3459 or
Hillelpd@wayne.edu .
March 31 Thursday, 6:45 p.m. Free
tickets to the DSO. 6:45 p.m. pre-
glow, 8 p.m. performance
RSVP by March 25 to Karen
Adelman, (313) 577-3459 or
Hilleled@wayne.edu
3/10
2005
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