United Jewish Appeal Campaign (UJA) Co-Chairs Farrel Shadlyn and Josh Raizman are pleased to welcome the Edmonton Jewish community to this year’s campaign launch, featuring a concert by the Clore Modern Quartet, an ensemble of talented young Israeli musicians from the Clore Centre for the Performing Arts, in Kfar Blum, located in the Jewish Federation’s Partnership2Gether (P2G) partner region in northern Israel.  

“We are delighted to host this event, which gives our community the chance to experience the strong connections we have built with our partner region in Etzbah Hagalil,” says Stacey-Leavitt Wright, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Edmonton.
 
The concert will showcase four young musicians, singer Shir Yaron, 17, Sagi Hodak, a 21-year-old guitar player, Gili Kovesh, 21, on drums, and a 17-year-old bass guitarist, Dor Ben Herzel. The young performers will be accompanied by Clore’s musical director, Ran Levi and Clore CEO Telem Chorin. Telem says the students are looking forward to visiting Edmonton and meeting their supporters. It’s their first time coming to Alberta. “They are very excited,” he says. 
 
The centre at Kfar Blum was established in 1996 as a music conservatory. The dance centre was opened in 2000, resulting in the Clore Centre for Music and Dance. The centre was again expanded in 2012. Students come from surrounding kibbutzim and moshavim, as well as Druze and Arab towns. The centre is the largest cultural institution of its kind in the north and strives to combine excellence and community. 
 
Telem traces back his relationship with Canadian Federations to when he joined the Clore Centre,10 years ago. “We have had delegations from Canada at the centre. We have done many activities together. We have lots of donations from Canada,” he says. 
 
The donations support student scholarships, music equipment, and creating spaces such as a recording studio. It’s important for Telem that the students experience a very professional environment and have the best conditions to study. He estimates that donations from Canada, through the years, have totaled around $2 million. These funds are impacting students’ lives and their future careers. 
 
Telem says it’s important for Clore’s musicians to perform at the UJA campaign launch because it helps bridge the understanding between Israel and Canada. Through this visit and concert, Edmonton will have a glimpse of the talent and bright future of Israel.
 
The 45-minute performance will include popular songs in both English and Hebrew. “We are coming with very professional musicians. Some of them will be the next big thing in Israel,” says Telem. 

In addition to the concert, the launch event will include remarks by Steve Shulman, president and CEO of Jewish Federations of Canada – United Israel Appeal. While they are in Edmonton the Israeli musicians will be billeted by host families. On Monday, September 11, they will perform at Talmud Torah school, before heading to Calgary for another performance. 
 
To purchase tickets for the campaign launch, visit jewishedmonton.org. The tickets include a kosher reception with wine and light fare, beginning at 6 pm.