From Darkness Back into the Light

Traditional melodies, both sacred and secular, alongside more modern forms of musical expression, bring the diversity of Jewish life to life through music. The Hebrew lyrics tell stories of remembrance and new beginnings, of community, faith and trust in the promise of a new light. 

In addition to modern and classical Israeli choral music, the choir will perform, for the first time, a work from Traum und Sehnsucht (Dreams and Longing), a new edition of the Hebrew Songbook. First published in Berlin in 1912, the songbook was made possible in large part through the generous support of the Jewish patron James Simon. In 2025, the songbook was reinterpreted as part of a competition organised by the German Choral Association. 

We dedicate this evening to all the victims of 7 October 2023. 

Founded in 2014, the Hebrew Choir Berlin currently brings together around 30 to 40 amateur singers of different ages, nationalities and cultural backgrounds. Its repertoire ranges from classical Israeli choral works to contemporary Hebrew songs. The choir also performs songs in traditional Jewish languages such as Ladino and Yiddish. In recognition of its commitment to Jewish life and peaceful coexistence between cultures, the choir was awarded the Geschwister Mendelssohn Medal by the Berlin Choral Association in 2025. 

Since 2022, the Hebrew Choir Berlin has been conducted by Dr Yael Front. She is a conductor and holds a doctorate and a master's degree in orchestral and opera conducting from the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) at the University of Cincinnati. 

Since June 2024, the choir has been accompanied on piano by Israeli pianist Ben Holzman. Ben completed his master's degree at the Berlin University of the Arts in 2024 and has already performed extensively throughout the European Union and in Israel.