Jerusalem Orchestra East & West youth division to perform at UN

The group is scheduled to present a repertoire intended to bridge cultures, including Zohar Argov’s “Yam Shel Dmaot” (“A Sea of Tears”), Abdel Wahab’s “Khayy Khay,” and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”

TJO Youth-Galilee, a delegation from the Jerusalem Orchestra East & West, is in New York this week for a series of performances, including an appearance Tuesday evening at an event marking the opening of the annual United Nations General Assembly session.

The ensemble, conducted by Maestro Tom Cohen, is expected to be the only musical act performing at the event.

Before taking the UN stage, however, the young musicians fulfilled another ambition: playing with veteran Israeli singer-songwriter David Broza, one of the most beloved Israeli artists of all time.

The orchestra members, ages 14 to 23, include Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Druze musicians from communities throughout the Galilee. They joined Broza in a New York rehearsal room for an informal jam session featuring songs drawn from a wide range of Eastern and Western musical traditions.

A Jewish businessman and philanthropist invited the youth ensemble to New York to show how musicians from different backgrounds can come together through music.

Group's UN repertoire intended to bridge cultures

At Tuesday evening’s performance, the group is scheduled to present a repertoire intended to bridge cultures, including Zohar Argov’s “Yam Shel Dmaot” (“A Sea of Tears”), Abdel Wahab’s “Khayy Khay,” and a closing performance of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”

Cohen described the meeting with Broza as particularly meaningful for both the young musicians and for him personally.

“During this trip to New York, the soloists of our youth orchestra had the privilege of meeting an artist they admire, and the person who helped me, as an enthusiastic child full of dreams, become the mature musician I am today,” Cohen said.

“The same generosity David showed me two decades ago, he gave with endless patience and love to our young musicians, who eagerly absorbed everything they could from this special encounter. Together, we experienced once again that when you follow the path of music — particularly the musical paths of David and of our orchestra — there is the potential for a colorful and exciting future in the meeting between East and West.”