Los Angeles Jewish Symphony

A Patchwork of Cultures at Adat Ari El

On December 11th, 2023 at 11AM, the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony celebrated the shared heritage of Sephardic and Latino communities with the free public concert A Patchwork of Cultures: Exploring the Sephardic-Latino Connection at Adat Ari El, with Rabbi Cantor Marcelo Gindlin as featured soloist.

With over 600 student concert attendees, this program is geared towards , grades 4 and 5, in Los Angeles public schools in low-income areas with a significant Latino population severely under-served in arts programming; parochial schools, whose students have little or no knowledge of Jewish heritage or traditions; and Jewish day schools.

Participant students will take part in a series of classroom workshops lead by our LAJS Teaching Artists. Each focuses on a different element associated with the music of Sephardic and Latin American cultures: folktales and folksongs, language, instrumental color, and orchestration. The program culminates in a joyous, live performance by the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, featuring music studied during the workshops.

Please enjoy photos from the concert below!

Maestra Noreen Green excitedly conducts the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony
Kenton Youngstrom (guitar) plays “Guitar Concerto No. 1” composed by
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco
Eden Kontesz (vocals) beautifully performs “Ocho Kandelikas” in celebration of Hanukkah
Marcelo Gindlin (vocals) passionately performs “Avram Avinu”
Teaching Artists Leslie Lashinsky and Beth Elliott dance the Mexican Hat Dance

Photography by: Sheldon Bolter