Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on February 23, 2018

Two concerts, a cooking demonstration and a scholar in residence highlight the upcoming Sephardic Festival taking place from March 4-17 at B'nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton .

Also in early March will be two Jewish-themed plays being performed in South Florida. "Kindertransport" is being shown both at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center, 50 W. Atlantic Blvd. in Pompano Beach from March 2-18 and the Sunrise Civic Center Theatre, 10610 W. Oakland Park Blvd in Sunrise, from March 24-25.

The comedy "Handle With Care" about the relationship between an Israeli woman and an American man will be shown at the Levis Jewish Community Center Sandler Center, 21050 95th Ave. South from March 1-11. For tickets and additional information, call 561-558-2520 or go to http://www.levisjcc.org.

The unique music of Yemenite singer Ravid Kahalani and his musicians from New York, Israel and Uruguay performing as "Yemen Blues" will be the major concert highlight of the festival on March 7 at 7:30 p.m.

"I'm very excited to bring to stage the Yemen Blues. Their music adds such a breath of fresh air to the Yemenite and Sephardic Jewish music scene," said Cantor Udi Spielman of B'nai Torah Congregation.

"As Ravid Kahalani says in his song 'Um Min Al Yaman,' it doesn't matter where you come from, your language is my language. His message is especially welcome in light of current events," said Spielman.

The Sephardic Festival opens on March 4 at 9:30 a.m. with workshops to experience Sephardic Jewish traditions.

Throughout the day, there will be stations on the congregation campus that will feature Sephardic foods, such as Sephardic charoset, Moroccan carrots, couscous and Yemenite stew.

Those attending on March 4 also will learn about Sephardic customs and traditions, including fine art items, such as evil eye stained glass.

Also highlighted at the Sephardic Festival will be a March 13 concert at 7:30 p.m. with singer Chaim Parchi singing folk songs from Ashkenazi, Sephardic and Yemenite traditions.

The festival closes on March 16 and 17 with scholar in residence Dr. Benjamin Gampel speaking to the congregation over Shabbat on "The History of the Jews in the Medieval and Early Modern Eras."

For more information on the Sephardic Festival at B'nai Torah Congregation, 6261 S.W. 18 St. in Boca Raton, call 561-392-8566 or go to http://www.btcboca.org.

As a special commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Kindertransport, Kindertransport survivors who reside in South Florida participated in a question and answer session following the presentation of the drama "My Heart in a Suitcase" at the Levis JCC Sandler Center.

Between 1938 and the outbreak of World War II, close to 10,000 children were sent by their parents from Germany to Great Britain to escape the Holocaust.by the Kindertransport.

There were three presentations of "My Heart in a Suitcase" for students from Donna Klein Jewish Academy, Katz Hillel Day School and Torah Academy of Boca Raton in addition to congregants from B'nai Torah Congregation, Congregation B'nai Israel and Temple Beth El.

The Curtain Call Playhouse production of the Diane Samuels play "Kindertransport" involves three characters: Eva, her mother and Eva's daughter many years later. Eva, a nine year old child, is sent by her parents from Germany to England by the Kindertransport.

When Eva's parents fail to escape, she changes her name and begins the process of denying her roots.

The play reaches a climax when Eva's teen daughter, many years later, finds old letters in the attic and forces Eva to reveal a surprising revelation to both her daughter and the audience.

"'Kindertransport' is a play of exceptional depth and emotional intelligence," wrote theatre critic Charles Spencer in "The Telegraph."

For tickets, call 954-784-0768 or go to http://www.curtaincallplayhouse.com.

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Yemenite singer to highlight Sephardic Festival in Boca Raton

Category: Sephardic
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