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The talented singers and musicians of the Israeli Defense Forces Air Force ensemble face a competitive selection process. But once they start singing, its all about the entertainment. At a free concert at Temple Sholom in Greenwich Sunday night, one Air Force Captain joked, its even harder to get into the music ensemble than it is to become a pilot.
The post-Chanukah event, called Keep the Lights Burning, was part of the synagogues ongoing commitment to Israel Advocacy and Education. We wanted to help raise the awareness for The Friends of the IDF in the local community, said Mitchell M. Hurvitz, senior rabbi at Temple Sholom. The FIDF are critical to the care of the soldiers and armed forces in Israel.
IDF musical ensembles perform wherever their nations forces are stationed. They also perform on a voluntary basis for civilian audiences.
At Sundays event, the group of eight singers entertained more than 300 guests at the free community event, which was sponsored by Jewish organizations, including Greenwich Reform Synagogue, Hebrew Wizards, and UJA Federation of Greenwich. Reps of different partners joined Temple Sholoms Cantor Asa Fradkin in leading the Star Spangled Banner and Hatikvah to open the event.
In the second set, kids from the audience ranging from infants to teens were invited to join the ensemble on stage to dance along to the music. For the post-concert party, an Israeli DJ spun Israeli pop and current hits as a table of teens collected funds for Israel Fire Relief. The money will help rebuild the Carmel region of northern Israel, which was struck by a deadly fire on Dec. 2.
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