On Wednesday, December 12, the Israeli Ma’ale Adumim Youth Symphony, two Manhattan Ramaz School choirs and the Kol Ram community choir joined together in a collaboration of music and and song at historic Carnegie Hall in New York City in a celebration of Jewish unity. WPIX sportscaster Andy Adler served as emcee for this unique event. The talented youth were brought together by Bnai Zion, a U.S.-based non-profit that identifies and funds capital projects focused on the needs of the most vulnerable in Israel.

Directed by renowned cellist Benjamin Shapira, the Ma’ale Adumim Youth Symphony performed, in front of a sold-out audience, selections from Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide” and “West Side Story,” as well as works by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Rafi Kadishson. These talented young musicians came from Israeli schools across Ma’ale Adumim and Jerusalem.

Led by veteran choir director Daniel Henkin, the Ramaz Upper School Choir, Chamber Choir and the Kol Ram Community Choir from Manhattan’s KJ community presented a program of classic and contemporary Jewish and Hebrew songs.

In the 110 years of its existence, Bnai Zion has spearheaded more than 100 humanitarian initiatives focused on the needs of most vulnerable communities in Israeli society, building hospitals, schools, universities, villages for at-risk youth and special-needs children, residences for veterans and Holocaust survivors and much more. Moreover, Bnai Zion has helped found and launch a number of other prominent organizations, such as the America-Israel Friendship League and Magen David Adom. Bnai Zion and its supporters are committed to continue building and developing impactful responses to Israel’s major challenges.