Baltimore Symphony Musicians and Temple B’nai Israel–The Satell Center for Jewish Life on the Eastern Shore–are partnering to present a free community concert on Saturday, August 17 at 5:00 p.m. The concert will be held at Temple B’nai Israel, Talbot County’s newest music and flex venue space, located in Easton, MD.

As part of their Make Music with the Baltimore Symphony Musicians program, the performance will feature the string trio of Wonju Kim, violin, Peter Minkler, viola, and Lukasz Szyrner, cello.

The program will include the following compositions: Franz Schubert: String Trio in B-Flat Major, D. 581, Erno Dohnanyi: Serenade in C Major, Op. 10 and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Divertimento in E-Flat Major, K. 563.

Bill Nerenberg, a volunteer and producer of this performance for the Baltimore Symphony Musicians, said he is “…thrilled to partner with Temple B’nai Israel in bringing world-class musicians to Talbot County, where there is a strong appreciation of classical music and a wonderful new venue in which to listen.”

Rabbi Peter Hyman said that he is “…especially grateful to Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for providing this free classical music concert for the community, particularly for young people and families, who may not have the opportunity to otherwise listen to live classical music.”

The free concert is open to the entire community and tickets are not required. Temple B’nai Israel is located at 7199 Tristan Drive, just off of Easton Parkway in Easton, MD. For further information, please call Temple B’nai Israel at 410-822-0553. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m. and the performance will begin at 5:00 p.m. Concertgoers are encouraged to arrive on time.

The Temple B’nai Israel presents the Susan and Barry Koh February Lecture Series. All performances will be held at Temple B’nai Israel, 7199 Tristan Dr., Easton, each Wednesday evening in February beginning at 7:30 PM.

On February 20, the guests are Oltre Ponte Trio: selections from an array of composers and time periods, showcasing works written and arranged for the uncommon violin/violin/piano and violin/viola/piano ensembles.

Dr. Elizabeth Brown (piano) enjoys a diverse musical career as an active chamber musician, teacher, orchestral keyboardist, and accompanist in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area.

A graduate of Northwestern University, Dr. Brown holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a Bachelor of Music in Solo Piano Performance. She recently completed her doctoral studies at the University of Maryland, receiving a D.M.A. in Collaborative Piano under the tutelage of Rita Sloan. Dr. Brown has spent several summers working with both instrumentalists and singers at the Aspen Music Festival. She has also performed at a number of other summer festivals, including Songfest, The American Russian Piano Institute in St. Petersburg, Bowdoin Summer Music Festival, and the Opera Theater and Music Festival of Lucca, Italy. In addition, she performs frequently as a member of The Shepherd Trio, a chamber ensemble she co-founded with members of the United States Air Force Band. She is currently on faculty at the University of Maryland as Lecturer in piano chamber music, and she also teaches at the International School of Music in Bethesda, MD.

Zack Stachowski (violin) maintains an active career performing in orchestral, chamber and solo capacities throughout the United States. While a student of Davis Brooks at Butler University (Indianapolis), Zack served as concertmaster of the Butler Symphony Orchestra, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra and the New Millennium Philharmonic. While in Indianapolis, Zack soloed with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra performing Ginastera’s Pampeana No. 1 with Stanley DeRusha conducting.

In 2011, Zack completed his M.M. in violin performance from the University of Maryland after studying with James Stern. Since then Zack has led workshops in ensemble and string technique at Loyola University (Baltimore), St. Catherine University (St. Paul, MN), Broadneck High School (Annapolis) and various other cities. An active recording artist and composer, Zack has worked extensively with GIA Publications, the largest liturgical music recording label in the United States.

Internationally, Zack has directed choirs and performed as a violinist in Mexico and Ireland. Most recently, Zack performed as principal second violinist with the Anne Arundel Symphony Orchestra on their tour to Vienna and Salzburg. Presently he serves as Director of Music at St. Ignatius of Loyola in Ijamsville, Maryland, and maintains and full private studio of violin, viola, piano and guitar students.

Nevin Dawson (viola/violin) studied viola at Penn State University and has played with many symphonies and chamber ensembles, including Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra, Canberra Symphony Orchestra, and the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra.

He currently teaches violin, viola, and cello at Music Life in Chestertown, MD. As a versatile player in many genres including classical, folk, and jazz, he plays with Shore Strings, the Dover Symphony, The Pam Ortiz Band, Harp & Soul, Front Porch Orchestra, and is featured on eight studio albums. He also performs solo shows featuring original music for electric violin and looper pedal, including introductory programs for the National Music Festival’s Fiddlesticks grade school education program. He is a member of the Red Devil Moon ensemble, a new musical selected to participate in the 2017 NYC Fringe Festival.

The Temple B’nai Israel presents the Susan and Barry Koh February Lecture Series. All performances will be held at Temple B’nai Israel, 7199 Tristan Dr., Easton, each Wednesday evening in February beginning at 7:30 PM.

On February 20, the guests are Richard Potter, Leroy Potter and Members of the Union Baptist Church Choir on The Evolution of Gospel Music.

This powerful and insightful program will examine the historical accounts of the American Negro Spiritual and the various movements that lead up to Gospel Music. The lecture will be interactive with various groups and individuals rendering songs from the various periods. This lecture will not only educate you, but will encourage and inspire your soul!

The Temple B’nai Israel presents the Susan and Barry Koh February Lecture Series. All performances will be held at Temple B’nai Israel, 7199 Tristan Dr., Easton, each Wednesday evening in February beginning at 7:30 PM.

On February 13, the guest is Dr. Rachel Franklin: A Classical and Jazz Recital: Chopin, Gershwin, Kurt Weill, Bach, Rachmaninoff, Miles Davis, Leonard Bernstein.

British-born pianist Rachel Franklin is much in demand as performer, music lecturer and teacher. As a Pro Musicis International Award winner, she gave her solo debuts in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York and Jordan Hall, Boston. The Boston Globe enthused about her “beautiful differentiations of color, touch and texture” and described a performance on her solo debut CD as “not inferior…to the recorded performances by Cortot and Rubinstein.” She has also given European Pro Musicis solo debuts in Paris and Rome Recent successes include concertos with the Columbia Orchestra, the Arlington Philharmonic, the Amadeus Orchestra, the Washington Sinfonietta, the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Piedmont Symphony and others. She is also an accomplished jazz pianist, performing with her own classical/jazz chamber ensemble, SONOS, with whom Jonathan Brown also performs as bassist. She’s delighted to be bringing her unique classical and jazz programming to Temple B’nai Israel.

As both soloist and ensemble artist, Rachel Franklin has concertized throughout Europe, Canada and the US, and has won many awards and prizes. She has performed on BBC Radio 3, on WQXR and WNYC in New York, WJHU in Baltimore, and Radio Telefis Eireann in Ireland. After being specially featured on NPR’s “Performance Today” program, she gave frequent spoken broadcasts for them.

Deeply committed to musical outreach and education, Rachel has a busy dual career as a popular music speaker, having lectured for such venues as the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, and the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra with whom she is the Adult Program Lecturer. She has also created several lecture series on film music that have been a huge hit. Highlights include her gala opening performance for the 2015 Chesapeake Film Festival and a return invitation to be their 2017 festival gala closing event. She’s lectured and performed many times for Easton’s Academy Art Museum where she will be returning in March.

Rachel Franklin studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School, the Royal College of Music, and the Rubin Academy of Music, Tel Aviv University, where she won First Prize in the school’s piano competition and received highest honors upon graduation.

Visit www.bnaiisraeleaston.org for more information.

The Temple B’nai Israel presents the Susan and Barry Koh February Lecture Series. All performances will be held at Temple B’nai Israel, 7199 Tristan Dr., Easton, each Wednesday evening in February beginning at 7:30 PM.

On February 6, the guest is Jason McKinney, “A Jewish Voice Through the Centuries.”

Originally from Milwaukee WI, USA, Mr. McKinney graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he studied voice with soprano Marilyn Taylor and tenor Glenn Siebert, conducting with Maestro James Allbritten, and composing with Kenneth Frazelle. Whilst in school Mr. McKinney was the recipient of the Helen Odom scholarship, the Music Dean’s Talent scholarship, and the Chancellor’s Grant for Excellence. Jason was the winner of the Civic Music Association of Milwaukee’s Harold Levin scholarship competition and was awarded the Judges Choice award at the Metropolitan Opera’s district competition. Jason has had the opportunity to premier new works by Kenneth Frazelle, Shelley Olson, Daniel Sonnenberg, Chandler Carter and Lawrence Dillon. Jason has to performed at such prestigious venues as The Kennedy Center, The White House, The Semper Opera House in Dresden Germany, The Hamburgische Staatsoper, The Festspielhaus in Baden-Baden, Germany, Opera Kommische in Berlin Germany, Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania, Sicily, and The Theatre Carre in Amsterdam Netherlands.

Jason was educated in Judaica at the Hillel Academy in Fox Point, WI. There he was first introduced to Jewish music, and that exposure influenced his love of music spurring him to learn a musical instrument. As a member of a Boy Scout explorer post Jason learned to play the Albert System clarinet in the New Orleans style and eventually was invited to play with the prestigious Preservation Hall Jazz Band in the French quarter.

Mr. McKinney has performed with opera companies in the US and in Europe. Among his favorite roles are the title roles in Don Giovanni, and Le Nozze di Figaro and in the Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Other roles include Colline in La Boheme, Olin Blitch in Sussanah, Dr Grenville in La Traviata, and Ashby in Fanciulla del West.

Mr. McKinney has been featured with the North Carolina Symphony, and has performed to critical acclaim in Europe, Mexico the U.S. and Australia. Mr. McKinney has been the cantorial soloist in Spartanburg, SC for over 10 years, and a guest Soloist with several synagogues worldwide. Me McKinney composes Jewish liturgical music which he shears with Jewish communities throughout the US. Mr McKinney is a resident artist and section leader at Centenary United Methodist Church in Winston – Salem NC, and teaches voice privately. Mr. McKinney portrays Paul Robeson in plays, recitals, and operas. Other original commissioned work includes “Frederick-a Musical Narrative” which he debuted in Easton, Maryland.

Visit www.bnaiisraeleaston.org for more information.

Temple B’nai Israel Satell Center for Jewish Life on the Eastern Shore Summer Institute will be presenting a forum entitled “Journalism and the Presidency: Past and Present” featuring Stephen Goldman and Michael Freedman on Sunday, June 25, 2017, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.at the Oxford Community Center.

Stephen Goldman owns one of the largest collections of historical newspapers in private hands. He is a member of the American Antiquarian Society and has served as consultant to the NEWSEUM since before it was opened, helping to plan and maintain the News History Gallery.

Michael Freedman is a Professorial Lecturer in journalism at the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs and Executive Producer of the Kalb Report. He serves on the Board of Governors of the National Press Club and Educator Advisory Team of the NEWSEUM.

Reservations Required: $25.00 – lunch included
Purchase online at https://www.bnaiisraeleaston.org/
or call 410-822-0553

On Sunday, May 1, 2016 at 7:30 PM, as we light Yom HaShoah Yizkor candles, remembering those who died during the Shoah, we welcome to Temple, Professor Dr. John Borelli, Special Assistant to the President for Interreligious Initiatives at
Georgetown University, who will address the topic: Vatican II: 50 Years of Nostra Aetate – Where we were, Where we are, Where we are headed. 

As Special Assistant to the President for Interreligious Initiatives at Georgetown University, Dr. Borelli designs and coordinates special projects that further the University’s contributions to interreligious dialogue and understanding. Prior to this, Dr. Borelli served as Associate Director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops where he staffed the Bishops’ Subcommittee on Interreligious Dialogue,

The Holocaust influenced the thinking and actions of both Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI. The Shoah initiated a turning point in formal Catholic-Jewish relations, triggering soul-searching among religious people trying to understand the
persecution and murder of six million human beings solely because of their religion beliefs. 

We are grateful to Fred and Lesley Israel and to Dr. Joseph Prudhomme, Director of the Institute for the Study of Religion, Politics and Culture at Washington College who were instrumental in bringing Dr. Borelli to Temple B’nai Israel for this program. Please call Nancy at the Temple Office: 410-822-0553 to register.

Nostra Aetate – 50 Years of Vatican II
WHERE WE WERE – WHERE WE ARE – WHERE WE ARE HEADED
Yom HaShoah: Sunday, May 1, 2016
7:30 PM
Temple B’nai Israel