Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on May 7, 2014

North York Mirror

For the second year in a row, a North York synagogue is hosting one of the main events for Jewish Music Week in Toronto.

Now in its fourth year, the festival is set to run May 18 to 24 at various venues in the city and Greater Toronto Area and will include a mix of Sephardic, klezmer, Israeli pop, Broadway, Yiddish theatre, jazz, big band, cantorial, folk and gospel music.

The Pride of Israel Synagogue, 59 Lissom Cr., will host a gala evening concert Monday, May 19 featuring Moroccan singer Aaron Bensoussan and Friends, who will bring his blend of Middle Eastern, jazz, flamenco and rock music to the Bathurst Street and Steeles Avenue synagogue at 7:30 p.m.

We are expecting a large turnout, said Pride of Israel member Larry Arshoff, who sits on the synagogues Jewish Music Week in Toronto committee.

The synagogue hosted Rocky Mountain Jewgrass for last years festival, drawing about 200 people, he said.

Last year was more rock, Arshoff said. This year its a combination of Middle Eastern, pop, jazz, flamenco. Its not a religious concert by any means.

Bensoussan will perform songs from his latest CD, A New Journey, along with classic Moroccan poems, ancient Judeo-Spanish melodies and Israeli favourites.

He will be joined by world/jazz musician Shai Bachar, bass player Waleed Abdulhamid, Erie Tollar on flute/ney/sax, Demterios Petslakis on guitar and oud, and Naghmeh Farahmand on percussion.

Jewish Music Week in Toronto was supposed to be a one-time deal when Aliza Spiro came up with the idea in 2011 to coincide with the international convention of the Cantors Assembly, which was held in Toronto that year.

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Pride of Israel Synagogue in North York hosts Jewish Music Week concert

Category: Sephardic
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