North American Jewish Choral Festival
Catskill Mountains July 16-20, 2006

Rave reviews surround the North American Jewish Choral Festival recently held in the Catskill Mountains from 7/16-7/20. One of the highlights of this year’s conference was the appearance of Debbie Friedman. One participant summed up the group feeling after Debbie’s workshop discussion with Cantor Jack Mendelsohn by saying “fabulous discussion – Debbie opens minds and hearts.” After her evening concert which featured the choral performance of 500 people singing Cantor Sheldon Levin’s beautiful choral arrangement of Debbie’s T’filat Haderech composition, one participant remarked “Debbie has amazing kavannah.” This yearly summer program jointly sponsored by the Zamir Choral Foundation and the Union for Reform Judaism unites Jewish music lovers for community choral singing, work with the world's top conductors of Jewish choral music in smaller ensembles, workshops on a wide variety of topics related to Jewish music, and daily concert performances by North America's leading Jewish choirs.

From left: Joyce Rosensweig, piano; Peter Allard, bass; Debbie Friedman, Ellen Allard, Leon Sher, Benjie Ellen Schiller, Danny Freelander, Jeff Klepper

Debbie in discussion with Cantor Jack Mendelsohn.