H eadlines
‘Sing Hallelujah’ Returns for a Second Year
MUSIC JED WEISBERGER | JE STAFF
CANTOR DAVID TILMAN
knows one of the best ways to
bring the Greater Philadelphia
Jewish Community together.

“Music and singing is the
best way for Jews,” said Tilman,
who is the choral director
of Shir KI, the adult choir at
Reform Congregation Keneseth
Israel in Elkins Park and the
conductor of the Cantors
Assembly Delaware Valley
Region. “When Jews gather, and
sing together, it brings our com-
munity together.”
After a successful debut of
Sing Hallelujah last spring,
Tilman is assembling a 2019
version, featuring 165 Jewish
voices, 11 area cantors, eight
area choirs and two special
Cantor Alberto Mizrahi
guests — internationally recog-
nized Cantor Alberto Mizrahi
of Anshe Emet Synagogue in
Chicago, and Rabbi Jeffery
Myers of the Tree of Life
Synagogue in Pittsburgh, who
formerly served Congregation
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Cantor David Tilman
Beth Judah in Ventnor, N.J.,
for seven years before it merged
with Temple Emeth Shalom of
Margate, N.J.

This year’s Sing Hallelujah
is scheduled for 8 p.m. Feb. 20
at Verizon Hall in the Kimmel
Center. Attendance at the
inaugural event was 1,700 and
Tilman, the event’s music direc-
tor and conductor, believes that
number is something to build
on. The upcoming program
will celebrate the arrival of the
Jewish people in America and
the unique evolution of the
community’s music from the
19th century to the present.

“When we were planning
this event, we wanted to include
one of the best Jewish voices
we could attract,” Tilman said.

“Cantor Mizrahi is known inter-
nationally and has performed
for world leaders and with many
renowned orchestras. He is an
immigrant as well, having come
to the United States from Greece
as a youngster. I officiated at
his wedding, and he officiated at
mine. What he will add to such
a strong assemblage of voices
is remarkable.”
Mizrahi is looking forward
to again singing in Verizon Hall.

“I performed there once
before,’’ Mizrahi said. “It is
an outstanding venue as far
as acoustics and the audi-
ence’s enjoyment is concerned.

I’m excited about it. Glad to
Cantor David Tilman rehearsing with a choir
be there for David.”
Having performed at Days
of Remembrance ceremonies
for presidents George W. Bush
and Barack Obama, as well
as with legendary jazz pianist
Dave Brubeck and orchestras
and choirs worldwide, Mizrahi
is passionate about Judaism
and Jewish music.

“My father
survived Auschwitz,” Mizrahi said. “I
wanted to be an opera singer
when I was young and I did
some of that, but as a cantor,
I can sing beautiful music and
celebrate being Jewish. What
better can a person do? In a
way, I’m still acting onstage,
and contributing to something
I truly feel passionate about.”
Tilman also has a close
connection with Myers, a man
of chesed following the tragic
shooting and death of 11 con-
gregants at his synagogue Oct.

27 in the Squirrel Hill neigh-
borhood of Pittsburgh.

“I taught Jeffery [who is both
a cantor and a rabbi] at the
Jewish Theological Seminary
and I wanted him to be here for
this program,’’ Tilman said. “I
am quite pleased he accepted.”
Myers will give a short
talk before singing Yehezkel
Braun’s “Adon Olam.” Braun
was a famous Israeli composer
who died in 2014.

“I am honored and delighted
to be reunited with my Delaware
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Valley colleagues as we lift our
voices in song in praise of the
Almighty,” Myers said.

Sing Hallelujah’s music will
not be of any one American
Jewish denomination.

“That’s not how we are
presenting the
music,” Tilman said. “It’s the over-
all development of Jewish
music in America, and the
effect America has had on
it. If a piece was composed
in Berlin, there always would
be German themes in it.

There is a difference between
Ashkenazi and Sephardic
music for those reasons.”
The eight choirs sched-
uled to participate include
the Adult Choir of Rodeph
Shalom, Adult Choir of Main
Line Reform Temple, Beth
Israel Choir, Cantors Assembly
Delaware Valley Region, Choir
of Congregation M’kor Shalom,
Choirs of the Old York Road
Kehillah/Jewish Community,
Makhelat Beth Sholom and
Sharim v’Sharot People of Song.

“I feel we have a great mix
of voices from our Greater
Philadelphia Jewish commu-
nity and some outstanding
individuals joining us.” Tilman
said. “The object, again, is to
bring our community together.

Nothing does it like song.” l
jweisberger@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0737
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