Knoxville community invited to celebrate Jewish diversity at “Lights & L’chaim”

The Jewish observance of Hanukkah, also known as the “Festival of Lights,” will be celebrated at the Foundry on Sunday, December 15th at “Lights & L’Chaim” – a community-wide event to usher in the spirit of holiday celebrations. “L’Chaim” means “To Life!” in Hebrew. And Lights & L’Chaim will definitely celebrate our many traditions with delightful music and delicious foods featuring holiday-inspired menu and songs from Klezmer, gospel, soul, and Arabic traditions.

This year’s program offers a special treat: combining the energizing musical experience of local Knoxville band Dor L’Dor with the outstanding jazz, gospel, and soul sounds of vocalist (and ukulele player extraordinaire) Kelle Jolly and her multi-woodwind instrumentalist husband Will Boyd, two of the leading figures in Knoxville’s jazz scene. Also joining the program this year will be members of Sawt al-Wadi (“Voice of the Valley,” formerly known as the Middle Eastern Music Ensemble) directed by Dr. Lillie Gordon and members of the St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church Praise Team.

Proceeds will support Heska Amuna Synagogue’s new community outreach initiative slated to begin in 2020 to revitalize the inspirational efforts of Gene Rosenberg, a congregant who died last year. Gene single-handedly engaged thousands of children, teens, and adults through his “traveling trunk” program. He filled trunks with artifacts from hate crimes – shackles, a piece of the World Trade Center, a charred cross – to encourage dialogue on promoting tolerance for all people. Funds will provide educator stipends to share this program across our community.

How do these genres mix? Dor L’Dor, (which means “generation to generation” in Hebrew), characterizes the music and the makeup of the band, originally comprised of Ken and Susan Brown and their three children, all now professional musicians. “While Klezmer music may have originated in Eastern Europe borrowing melodies and rhythms from European countries and traditions,” explains Ken Brown, “it has always been a true melting pot of cultures across generations with each generation drawing from and adding to the tradition. We’re excited to have Kelle and Will and members of Sawt al-Wadi and the St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church Praise Team join us and we invite all of Knoxville to experience this concert. Help us build a whole new Knoxville Klezmer tradition!”

We are pleased to announce the Honorary Chairs for this year’s event are Bernard and Barbara Bernstein who truly exemplify life-long commitments to creating a flourishing community. Event chairs Kim Hedrick and Frank Floyd welcome the community to our holiday celebration. In their words, “L’chaim is a traditional Jewish toast that simply means, ‘To Life!’ We’re looking forward to sharing our culture and raising a toast to life with all of you.”

Heska Amuna Synagogue wishes to acknowledge Mayor Madeline Rogero and the City of Knoxville’s Community Agency Grants program and Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs for supporting this community cultural event.

Event details:
• Sunday, December 15, 2019. Doors open at 2:00 pm; music begins at 3:00 pm
• Light buffet of holiday foods follows the concert (approximately at 5:00 pm)
• The Foundry, 747 Worlds Fair Park Drive, Knoxville

For more information/tickets: heskaamuna.org

Ticket prices: $10 for children, under 12; $45 for adults.
VIP packages and sponsorship opportunities also available

Heska Amuna Synagogue has served the Jewish community of Knoxville for over 100 years. It balances a respect for Jewish tradition with an openness to new ideas and practices. It is small enough to be personal, but large enough to meet the many needs of its diverse membership. Heska Amuna emphasizes education and prides itself on the skills of its adult leadership and the accomplishments of its youth. All are welcome to be a part of the Heska Amuna family.

Published December 7, 2019