Jerusalem-based musician, cantor, paytanit (poet) and singer Yahala Lachmish will perform at a special concert, entitled From Jazz to Hijaz, at Temple Beth-El of Great Neck on Saturday, December 10, at 7:30 p.m.
A daughter of the small but tight-knit Lebanese-Jewish expatriate community, Yahala will sing and tell her personal story—as her musical journey reconnects her to her Sephardic roots.
During the performance, she will share melodies from around the globe along with piyutim (liturgical poems). Her powerful, Middle Eastern vocal style and contemporary touch create an Israeli multicultural mix that unites rhythms, sounds and traditions from east and west for a refreshing take on Jewish music.
For 25 years, Yahala has been performing melodies from around the world as a solo artist, in various ensembles (such as Tandu and Voca Shabbat) as well as in orchestras.
She is the musical director and conductor for the National Singing Communities (Kehilot Sharot) in Israel and musical director and cohead of prayer in Jerusalem’s Kehilat Zion Synagogue.
The Jerusalem-based cantor lectures and leads services at the Midreshet Beit Prat (previously known as Ein Prat), which brings secular and observant Israelis together for Jewish learning and exploration.
Yahala holds a BA in composition from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and accompanies the Sephardic track of the Ashira Tehilot program for musicians and cantors at the Schechter Institute in Jerusalem. She also teaches Biblical trope and sessions on Jewish liturgical poems.
Founded in 1928, Temple Beth-El is Great Neck’s first synagogue. To hear Yahala, buy tickets or get more information, visit www.tbegreatneck.org/events/yahala-lachmish-concert, call 516-487-0900 or email [email protected].
