How I Got to Carnegie Hall... and What It Meant to Me!
By Tilly Raij
On April 7, I performed alongside about 225 of my fellow Jewish teenagers in a gala performance at Carnegie Hall with HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir. It was an amazing experience filled with beautiful music, fun activities, and new friendships, but let’s look back at how I prepared for this opportunity.
HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir is comprised of American and Israeli students in eighth through 12th grades.
In April 2023, shortly after my bat mitzvah, a friend from synagogue who knew I liked to sing explained that HaZamir is a choir of teenagers from the United States and Israel who rehearse separately in different chapters and ultimately sing Jewish music together in New York. She had been part of the Orlando chapter for a year and put me in touch with Andrea Burke, the local coordinator. In August, I auditioned with the Orlando chapter conductor, Eric Levine, who is also the music director at Jewish Academy of Orlando (JAO). My audition included singing some English music, learning HaZamir’s theme song, and demonstrating my Hebrew pronunciation. I made it into the choir as an alto, and the two-hour, weekly rehearsals started later that month at JAO.
We learned a variety of Jewish choral music over the course of eight months. Every song was unique and beautiful, and the lyrics always had a deeper meaning that helped me connect to my Jewish identity. Mr. Eric (as he’s known to his students) helped us prepare for 2024 Festival, a four-day celebration that culminated in the Carnegie Hall performance. During the trip to New York, students from all 35 HaZamir chapters bond and practice with different conductors. Eric cares so much and taught us the music, helped us understand our songs, and made sure we both had fun and were also ready to sing at a high-level of performance.
Andrea provided support and snacks and made sure we were all set and organized to go to Festival, from ordering uniforms to booking flights. Our chapter wouldn’t be possible without either of them. I have loved connecting with Mr. Eric, Andrea, and the four other girls in my chapter: Ilana Brener, Jaynie Rivers, Sara Schenkel, and Madelyn Zwick.
Tilly Raij, Madelyn Zwick, Jaynie Rivers, Ilana Brener, and Sara Shenkel, members of HaZamir’s Orlando chapter.
When I finally arrived at Festival, I was nervous, but that quickly changed after seeing how welcoming everyone was. Our days were busy but exciting! There were lots of opportunities to make friends, with activities led by HaZamir Teen Leaders, meals, and time spent with roommates. I became especially close with my roommates, and we were good friends by the end of Festival. Rehearsals were also one of my favorite parts of the whole event. Every conductor was very experienced and professional but still made rehearsals fun. When every section came together to sing in harmony, it sounded magical.
Being a part of HaZamir also felt incredibly meaningful after October 7. Our concert at Carnegie Hall was called HaZamir Sings for Israel, and when I sang with the Israeli teens, I felt like I understood their pain more. I saw how HaZamir really united everyone and raised our spirits. Even though we’re from different places and live very different lives, we were able to come together and celebrate being Jewish as one big group. It was an experience I’ll never forget, and I know I’ll continue to sing beautiful music with HaZamir.
If you are interested in auditioning for HaZamir Orlando, email HaZamirOrlando@gmail.com.
This story was originally published in print in Summer 2024.