Volume 67, Issue 7

Chanukah Concert Hailed A Success
by Aaron Kraft

Despite the bitter cold, treacherous sleet, and heavy snow on Thursday night, December 5, scores of people from around the greater metropolitan area journeyed to Yeshiva for the highly anticipated annual Chanukah concert.

Arriving approximately one half hour before the concert began, more than eleven hundred avid Jewish music lovers poured into Zysman Hall’s Lamport Auditorium, many of them briefly stopping at the makeshift concession stands on their way in.

Typically, concert venues do not reach their capacities until midway through the performance, even for a sold-out event; this year, however, only standing room remained even before the opening act kicked-off.  Takisim, the recent Battle of the Bands victors, opened the night.  Strobe lights twirled, rotating Jewish stars reflected off the backdrop, and smoke machines and bright flashing lights set the mood for an upbeat, action-packed night.

The performance continued with its next act, Baruch Abitan, who was deemed “by far the crowd favorite,” according to a student claiming to be an Omshenuv Chasid.

Following Abitan were Jeremy Neiss, Yaakov Shwekey, Shlomo Simcha, and Dedi.  “With such a fabulous line-up, the crowd had to get pumped up and they certainly were rocking,” said Sy Syms School of Business sophomore Michael Davies.

While Neginah Orchestra, one of the biggest and most popular Jewish concert bands, provided instrumental accompaniment, the spectators supplied vocal back-up, constantly singing along.  Almost immediately, the audience transferred the room’s electrifying energy into dancing in the aisles and swaying in their seats.  Perhaps the apex of the excitement occurred when former Yeshiva College Student Council President and current first year student at the Benjamin N. Cordoza School of Law Lou Shapp jumped on stage with Shlomo Simcha, dancing in typical yeshivish fashion.  “Although I graduated, being here makes me feel as if I didn’t,” Shapp said after the concert.

Those who had attended the concert had mostly positive things to say. “The quality level of entertainment was as worthy as the concert’s cause,” said YC sophomore Kenny Pollack.  Pollack was alluding to the ultimate destination of this year’s concert funds: the Israel Emergency Solidarity Fund, which aids terror victims in Israel.

An event of such proportions and widespread success is not easily organized.  The concert was an undergraduate student government joint effort headed by the Yeshiva Student Union and the Stern College for Women Student Council.  With the Chanukah Concert committee headed by SOY Vice President Yummy Schachter and comprised of Ephraim Shapiro (program), Mitch Appelson (ticket sales) and Nechama Gottleib (ticket sales), the event quickly began to take shape.

Choosing performers and a band, securing a lighting and sound company, organizing security, taking care of marketing, and printing and advertising are just some of the many pre-performance responsibilities.  This year, however, the added burden of inclement weather caused further anxiety.  But, as Schachter put it, “I think everyone was pleased [that] they braved the storm.  It was certainly quite impressive to see a full house when the curtain went up.”

Beyond the actual audio entertainment, the audience seemed to enjoy other aspects of the program as well.  Jonah Rechnitz, a Sy Syms sophomore, especially enjoyed the comic relief by Dedi.  “My favorite was his story about the miracle of Chanukah, and how Dedi explained the miracle as the oil from his latke lasting in his stomach eight days.”  Zvi Herman, another Sy Syms sophomore, expressed his thoughts on the evening:  “It was really nice that so much fun was had in a kosher setting.”

Even outsiders enjoyed the event.  Joel Katz, a student at Yeshivat Shaarei Mevaseret Zion who was visiting for the week added, “The concert was the most spiritually uplifting experience of my ‘YU career.’”

Contrary to popular opinion, however, there were some who disliked various parts of the concert.  YC sophomore Tzvi Hagler commented, “Although overall I can’t complain, the bright lights shining into the audience blinded me, and the program lasted a bit too long.  Additionally, I saw women in the men’s section.”

Others, like YC junior and popular RA Amitai Ber Blickstein, offered an alternative approach to concerts in general.  “Music is meant to be an inspiration to actively do something,” he maintained.  For that reason, he never attends concerts.  “I understand that people claim that one cannot compare live music to recorded music; however, it still does not draw me.  Music is an accompaniment to activity, not an activity in its own right.”

Nevertheless, the overall reaction to the night was quite good.  “Everything about the concert was out of this world,” said Aharon Teitlebaum, current manager of Neginah Orchestra.  “It is one of the best Neginah has ever done.”

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