Los Angeles Jewish Symphony

A Patchwork of Cultures 2024: Adat Ari El

The Los Angeles Jewish Symphony (LAJS) proudly presented its unique and innovative education program, “A Patchwork of Cultures: The Sephardic-Latino Connection,” at Adat Ari El Synagogue on December 9, 2024.

The LAJS has conducted music education programs for eighteen years, reaching more than 13,000 students. This program explores and celebrates the deep cultural ties that Sephardic Jews share with the people of Latin America and promotes respect for diversity through recognition of these similarities. For example, the language of Sephardic Jews, called Ladino, is very close to Spanish.

Students from Los Angeles public schools and Jewish day schools came together at this concert after a series of classroom workshops led by LAJS teaching artists in each of the participating schools. A yearly tradition for the LAJS, the concert and workshops are free-of-cost to students and schools and are completely underwritten by grant funding.

Board Chair Wendy Prober-Cohen with students at the “Instrument Petting Zoo”
Milken Community School “Kol Echad” Choir, led by Sarah Shapiro, performing “Ocho Kandelikas”
Marcelo Gindlin singing with the LAJS
Milken Community School students demonstrating percussion instruments at the “Instrument Petting Zoo”
Maestra Green conducting the LAJS
The Woodwind section showing off their instruments
From L to R: Martin Glicklich, Maya Barrera, Micah Wright, Zinovy Goro, Leslie Lashinsky

Photography by Luc Richards