A Personal Message from the President to our Patrons, Supporters, and Audience

It is said that Abraham Joshua Heschel prayed for one thing - the gift of wonder. The gift of astonishment in the face of the rote, the gift of  amazement in the face of the mundane. Heschel's blessing was his vision of divine purpose behind the seemingly ordinary.

To an untrained observer the LAJS may be viewed as just another orchestra or community program or cultural endeavor.

However to a visionary open to the wonder behind the seemingly ordinary, the LAJS embraces a mission that goes to the very heart of our city and its ongoing efforts to build and enrich the vitality of Judaism in the largest community of the Diaspora.

A visionary would recognize that the LAJS, now in its eleventh successful concert season, is the only professional orchestra in the USA and Canada dedicated to representing classical symphonic Jewish music that resonates the heritage and hopes of our people.  Simply put, the LAJS is unique in its existence.

A visionary would recognize that the LAJS is exclusive in bringing to the Los Angeles stage Jewish musical repertoire from around the world - music that is for practical purposes undiscovered or seldomly heard. But music that moves the Jewish soul, while at the same time enriching our understanding of our legacy, informing our heritage and embellishing our history.

A visionary would recognize that secular America does not show favoritism to young upward coming or locally established Jewish musicians and composers who possess every bit as much talent as prevailing non Jewish marquis names. In this regard the LAJS has acted as a highly credentialed forum for the support and expression of this treasure trove of Jewish talent, providing composers and players alike an opportunity to display their talent to the community at large.

A visionary would recognize that music of the caliber, scope and content of the LAJS is a great source of pride to our community while at the same time reaching out in an accepting and inclusive way to those who are unaffiliated, and not part of the mainstream Jewish community.  Afterall who can deny the all-encompassing and inspirational power of our Hatikva melody.

A visionary would recognize that the arts inform life and faith and that the LAJS broad-based educational outreach programs that have reached over 5000 Jewish school children to date, including the creation of the first Los Angeles Jewish Community Youth Symphony, can only serve to echo the words of Hebert Zipper, the late Los Angeles composer and Shoah survivor:  "although man can survive without the arts, he is not really alive without them and under certain circumstances the arts can help him survive".  Let it be known that through Jewish music and art appreciation and education our children's lives are indeed enriched.

I am asking you to have the vision to recognize the uniqueness of this orchestra, to realise what an ensemble dedicated to our people's music can do for the spirit and soul of our community locally and nationally, and to imagine the pride it would instill and the deep value it would add to our heritage and our Judaism. I am asking that you have the vision to support this symphony's potential, and to invest in its mission. The LAJS relies completely on your generosity, and that of your family and friends, who would hear and listen to this unique message.  After all we Jews have come to G-d not through our sense of smell or sight or touch, but through our ability to hear:  "Shma Yisrael."

Consider ours an orchestra in search of a Moses, or two, in search of a helping hand that will enable us to live up to the expectations and aspirations of a community, as well as performers and composers, that we have served so loyally and in search of a permanence that would memorialize on their behalf this institution we have worked so hard to create. The LAJS asks that you "soften your hearts," and support this remarkable institution for the higher cause it represents and the inestimable good it has done for our community.  In the words of Hillel: V'im lo achshav, ey matai- if not now, when?