This year, the Jewish Community of Louisville’s celebration of Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel Independence Day, will be an occasion to remember because on Sunday, April 22, the JCL is bringing the Yeshiva Maccabeats to town for a 4:30 p.m. concert at the Jewish Community Center.
Tickets for the concert are just $15 each, and they’re going fast. Limited seating is available, so get your tickets now, before it’s too late.
“We are very excited to bring this terrific group of Yeshiva University students to perform here,” said Yom HaAtzmaut Program Co-Chair Julie Ellis. “It’s new programming for the community and offers a fun way to celebrate Yom Ha’Atzmaut.”
“This program is suitable for people in many age groups,” added Co-Chair Amy Ryan. “It is truly a community event and will be lots of fun.”
“Many thanks to Andrea [Melendez],” Ellis continued, “who has been communicating with the group and our community to help make this a success. … We look forward to celebrating Israel together.”
While the Maccabeats concert is, without a doubt, the highlight of the day, there is much more to it.
Gift of Life
Wherever the Maccabeats go, Gift of Life Bone Marrow Registry goes, too. When you come to the JCC for the concert, stop by their booth, and, as they say, get swabbed, be a hero.
Leukemia is a form of cancer that is a random killer. It can strike anyone at any time. For many leukemia victims, a bone marrow transplant is their only chance for survival. But how does a person with leukemia find a donor for that transplant?
For the transplant to work, the donor and recipient must be genetically matched. It is much more likely that a match can be found between people of the same ethnic group than those from different groups. Therefore, when a Jewish person needs a bone marrow transplant, he or she will have better odds finding a perfect match within the Jewish community than elsewhere.
There is a worldwide Bone Marrow Registry, but Jews are such a small ethnic group that they are not adequately represented there. To address this issue, the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation is a Jewish registry. By focusing so narrowly, they are better able to make matches and save lives.
Israeli Dinner
And what’s a celebration of Yom HaAtzmaut without Israeli food? You will be able to purchase a kosher, Vaad-approved a la carte dinner from Mirabelle Catering starting at 5:45 p.m.
Team Trek to Israel Celebration
On January 1, 39 teams of five began the 6200 mile journey to Israel, earning miles for every hour they exercised, and picking up a few extra by answering trivia questions. At 6:15, we’ll be celebrating the achievement of every team that completes the Team Trek to Israel.
About the Maccabeats
In the fall of 2007, a few students at Yeshiva University realized that Jewish collegiate a cappella groups had been formed on almost every college campus with a substantial Jewish student community – except for YU. To fill this gap, the Maccabeats, YU’s all-male a capella group, was formed.
Soon, though, their music began to spread and be performed all over campus at university events and in concerts. The Maccabeats have since performed all around the country, from New York’s Madison Square Garden to Los Angeles and everywhere in between.
Strongly committed to the philosophy of Torah u-Madda, the integration of traditional and secular wisdom, the Maccabeats perform an eclectic array of Jewish, American, and Israeli songs. Their breakthrough piece, Lecha Dodi, is the epitome of this synthesis, combining some of the most beloved words of Jewish liturgy with Leonard Cohen’s meaningful and melodic Hallelujah.
In March 2010, the Maccabeats released their first album, “Voices from the Heights,” which is distributed by Sameach Music.
In November 2010, the Maccabeats released “Candlelight,” a Chanukkah-themed video produced by Uri Westrich, which garnered international attention.