Memorable Music
U-M's Kol HaKavod singing group wins
honors at national Jewish a cappella contest.
Mara Chaben
R
jewish@edu staff writer
epresenting the University of Michigan,
please welcome Kol HaKavod!"
I hear this as we walk in front of a
crowd filled with nearly 800 people at Adas Israel
Synagogue in our nation's capital. My excitement
heightens as we take our spots on stage at my
very first a cappella competition.
I am part of Kol HaKavod, the premier Jewish
a cappella group at the University of Michigan,
which was chosen out of 50 collegiate groups
to compete at Kol HaOlam (Jewish a cappella
nationals). We competed against eight other top
groups, each receiving eight minutes to show off
a set of two songs.
We started with a riveting version of "Le'an
She'lo Telchi" arranged by our members Jeremy
Borison, Andrew Cohen and Emily Goldstein; and
we brought the house down with a mash up of
"Od Ach Echad" and "Lu Yehi" arranged by Ben
Greenberg. The performance was exhilarating
and, as we walked off the stage, I knew all our
hard work had paid off.
Prior to our trip to D.C., we rehearsed our set
for endless hours, perfecting choreography and
memorizing every musical detail. We usually
rehearse five hours a week; however, we added
extra rehearsals to prepare for the competition.
Rehearsing for Kol HaOlam was a stressful pro-
cess, but I came to realize how important the
practice was to ensure success.
A beautiful Havdalah service preceded the
competition. I felt empowered to be surrounded
by so many talented Jewish singers, all joining
hands to sing the prayers as one. As a freshman,
I never realized how many college students par-
ticipated in Jewish a cappella groups. This expe-
rience introduced me to a unique community,
providing my group with connections to singers
from all over the country.
I am proud to say we returned to Ann Arbor
with the title of the third-best Jewish a cappella
group in the United States. The Big 10 swept the
competition with Indiana University taking first
place and University of Wisconsin taking second.
Singing is my passion and Kol HaKavod has
been an amazing addition to my freshman year.
University of Michigan's Kol HaKavod took third place
in a national Jewish a cappella competition.
"Singing is my passion and Kol HaKavod has been an
amazing addition to my freshman year"
I'm thankful this experience also allows me to
be a part of the Jewish community at U-M and
Hillel.
We truly thank Hillel for the opportunities
supplied to Kol HaKavod, and we look forward
to making the Hillel community proud again in
years to come. @
Mara Chaben of Farmington Hills is a sophomore
at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Congratulations!
JN
May 22 • 201 ,, 47