WEST HARTFORD, CONN. (April 18, 2018) – Shir Ba’Emek, an internationally acclaimed Israeli choral ensemble, will present a free public concert in Hebrew and English on Tuesday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m. at Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Hartford, located at 26 Buena Vista Road in West Hartford. The concert is presented by Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford as part of the community-wide Israel@70 celebrations taking place throughout 2018.

Shir Ba’Emek (“Song in the Valley”) is the official choral ensemble of Afula, a city located in Israel’s Jezreel Valley, about 10 kilometers or 6 miles from Nazareth. “The roots of Shir Ba’Emek date back to our high school years, when we were known as Tzeirei Afula (“The Young People of Afula”),” explains ensemble director Itzik Simhony. “After army service, all of us returned to Afula to create Shir Ba’Emek. For us, this is what connects us to our hometown and the wonderful people who live here.” The ensemble has won national awards and performs in Israel and around the world.

Since 1995, Greater Hartford has had a sister relationship with Israel’s Afula/Gilboa region. As part of that relationship, Federation supports social service programs for needy Afula residents and annually hosts Israeli Young Emissaries, high school graduates who spend a year before Israeli army service living with families in Greater Hartford and sharing Israeli culture with local students. The Shir Ba’Emek concert is made possible through this special relationship, which is part of a larger partnership between the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Jewish Federations of North America.

All are welcome to attend the free concert. Kindly RSVP to Debra Howson at dhowson@jewishhartford.org or 860.727.6103.

Israel@70 is presented by the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford and the Mandell Jewish Community Center with financial support from the Jewish Community Foundation and Federation, as well as Jerusalem Sponsor Data-Mail, Inc. and Tel Aviv Sponsors NEFCO and Solinsky EyeCare. For more information and a full calendar of Israel@70 events, visit www.jewishhartford.org/israelat70, or follow @IsraelAt70Hartford on Facebook or Instagram.