More than 450 people joined B’nai Israel to welcome the Maccabeats to the Sandler Family Campus for the Unity Concert last month.
The concert was made possible by a Tidewater Jewish Foundation Community Impact Grant and organized in partnership with the Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, with additional support from Maimonides Health Center of Virginia Beach.
Speaking at the concert, Naomi Limor Sedek, president and CEO of Tidewater Jewish Foundation, said, “I would like to recognize Gabi Kocerha, who worked from conception to implementation on the vision for this unity concert bringing so many collaborative partners to the table on behalf of B’nai Israel Congregation as well as her committee of dedicated volunteers.”
The Maccabeats, an a cappella group originally formed in 2007 as Yeshiva University’s student vocal group, began with a traditional Jewish song, Am Yisrael Chai. They also sang about Hanukkah and Purim, and the Acheinu prayer for the release of the hostages. Plus, they taught the crowd how to beatbox.
People gathered and united for an afternoon with friends, families, and extended community to celebrate being Jewish. The Shawarma, which was available at the concession stand, and a rock wall that was climbed by children before, during, and after the concert, added to the festive atmosphere.
Outside of the ‘concert hall,’ attendees were attracted to a small station comprised of two screens, each with a prompt. One said, “I am proud to be a Jew because…” and the other, “Community means…” Everyone had the opportunity to write their response to the prompt on a sticky note and post it on the screen.
Initially, it was the children who jumped at the chance to write their thoughts and share their opinions. The adults’ first reaction tended to be that they “needed to think about it.” The youngest, who didn’t know how to write, made pictures of the Jerusalem stone and tried their best to make the shape of Israel.
Older children wrote: “I am proud to be a Jew because I get to learn two languages,” “My BFF and I get to learn Hebrew.” They wrote about community – meaning that they love everyone and being one big family. They wrote they were proud to be Jews and that “we have the Torah and the mitzvot.” They summed up community in one Hebrew word: Achdus, the Hebrew word for unity or unification.
Eventually, the adults started to participate. They wrote that community is “Everything.” It “gives my children the ability to question, to discover the resources to connect and the courage to support and take action.” Community is “togetherness.”
A recurring theme emerged: “We are proud to be Jews because we are HaShem’s chosen people, an Am segulah (a unique people).” “We are unified through our love of G-d and our connection to the holidays and Shabbat.” “We enjoy getting to know more Jews and learning about their traditions, as well as sharing meals together with so much food. When Shabbat is over, we honor its completion with Havdalah.”
“This afternoon’s concert is a testament to what we can accomplish when we gather in joy and celebration,” said Limor Sedek. “The Maccabeats, with their harmonies and heartfelt melodies, remind us of the power of music to inspire and connect us. They show us that Jewish pride is something to sing about—a light to share with the world. In times like these, when our Jewish pride may sometimes be tested or questioned, the community becomes a beacon of light and hope. It’s here that we find belonging, purpose, and resilience.”
