Photos: Yossi Percia
The Lag Baomer Unity Concert last week, hosted by the West Coast Chabad Lubavitch and Kol Yaakov Yehuda -The Rebbe’s Diamond Daveners, brought together 2,000 children and their parents and teachers at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills.
The spirit of Jewish unity filled the hall as Mordechai Shapiro, a popular singer from New York, performed the audience’s favorite songs, drawing them into dancing, clapping, and singing along. About a dozen schools and organizations throughout the Greater Los Angeles participated in the concert.
Rabbi Mayer Greene, the Rebbe’s Shliach of Chabad of Tarzana was the MC of the event.
Rabbi Boruch Shlomo Cunin, California head Shliach and director of West Coast Chabad Lubavitch, spoke about the special light of Lag Baomer.
Rabbi Tzemach Cunin, director of Chabad of Century City, led the participants in the recitation of Tehillim.
Rabbi Mendel Duchman, director of Kol Yaakov Yehuda, and one of the coordinators of Lag baOmer parades and concerts in Los Angeles for the last 11 years, called on representatives of different schools and organizations to recite the Twelve Pessukim.
In addition, two three-year-old boys received the first snips of their haircuts right on the stage, cheered on by the enthusiastic audience.
The theme of unity permeated the event. Different schools and homeschooling groups were warmly
welcomed by both the MC and by Mordechai Shapiro, who expressed his appreciation and admiration
for the achdus taking place in the concert hall.
“We are all different, but at the end of the day, we are all brothers and sisters,” he said, introducing the legendary song “B’yachad.”
unique to the Kosher world
The unity was further enhanced by the surprise appearance of Bentzi Marcus of the Eighth Day band, who performed the song “Shine a Little Light,” composed by Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz, who is battling ALS, who was also in attendance.
Marcus also spoke about the innermost teaching of the Torah revealed by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai on Lag Baomer that served as a foundation of Chassidic teachings. He then sang several Chassidic niggunim with the audience.
During the second half of the concert, jugglers and a unicycle rider joined Mordechai Shapiro on stage,
delighting the audience with their skills. Many children had the opportunity to greet Mordechai Shapiro
with a high five, and some even went up onto the stage and sang together with him.
The Unity Concert was produced and organized by a Vaad of Los Angeles Shluchim and Anash.
A special huge Thank you goes out to Rabbis Yossi Burston, Tzmach Cunin, Mendel Duchman, Dovi Garelik and Mayer Greene.
The Unity concert was produced by R’ Yossi Burston, a leading member of LA Anash – and is credited for putting together many such events for Schools and organizations worldwide.
The BCM girls rocked out the pesukim! Great job 1A girls!
How beautiful to see Rabbi Yitzi and his wife at the Program.
Yossi Burston is amazing!!! He is by far the most talented event planner I know!!
Cunin- Duchman team —always excel in uplifting our children.
Bentzi I am sure you sang it’s so beautiful and the main thing is you all had a good time and that’s the most important thing good job