Congregation Ahavat Olam of North Andover, MA joins us for a “Sephardic Shabbat Unplugged – A Journey into the Music of the Sephardic Tradition.”

The evening will begin with Jewish ethnic foods from Sephardic traditions. Shabbat services will feature the Ahavat Olam ensemble led by founding Rabbi/Cantor Idan Irelander.

5:30 pm Appetizers
6:00 pm Shabbat Dinner
7:30 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Evening Service
Followed by Oneg Shabbat dessert and refreshments

$20 adult / $15 child

The “Sephardic Shabbat Unplugged” is part of Rabbi Idan’s Shabbat Olam series, “Shabbat Around the World.” The program reflects the distinctive musical traditions of diverse Sephardic Jewish communities from Spain, Portugal, Africa and the Middle East. Rabbi Idan’s Sephardic ensemble is comprised of professional musicians from Arab countries, the Americas and Israel. Using the liturgy of the Friday night service, Rabbi, Idan’s compositions include original arrangements for familiar prayers and songs, such as Sh’ma, Shalom Aleichem and L’cha Dodi.

Rabbi Idan Irelander started his musical journey in Israel when he was 15 years old. He performed with well-known musical groups and singers and arranged several albums for Israeli musicians. He left Israel in 1997 after receiving a Berklee College of Music B.E.S.T. scholarship to major in composition and film scoring. After completing his studies in Boston with high honors, Idan received the Berklee College of Music Award for Composition Excellence and the Berklee College of Music Award for Achievement in Film Scoring.

Open to all!

The seedlings of this celebration of Sephardic traditions were initially conceived by Ben Freedman z"l, an active member of Temple Beth Abraham, where for 35 years, Ben held many leadership positions. The program was delayed three years because of Covid-19. Sadly, Ben passed away on June 20, 2020.