WASHINGTON, D.C. - Many of the top names in Jewish music will be performing at the inaugural New Orleans International Jewish Music Festival this spring. The two-day gathering is a celebration of Jewish culture and rebuilding of the New Orleans Jewish community after Hurricane Katrina. The festival will be held April 1 starting at 8 p.m. at The Howlin' Wolf and April 2 beginning at noon at Tulane University's McAlister Hall.

The Gary Rosenthal Collection's Hiddur Mitzvah Project, in conjunction with Moment Magazine and the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, are sponsoring the festival. Whitney National Bank, the oldest continuously operating bank in New Orleans and a banking industry leader in the Gulf South, was added as a festival sponsor and OffBeat Magazine, a New Orleans-based magazine that covers The Big Easy's entertainment scene, became a media sponsor.

SATURDAY, APRIL 1 AT THE HOWLIN' WOLF ~ DOORS OPEN AT 7:00 P.M.
The Saturday, April 1 concert will feature five musical acts. Among those performing are three New York acts: Blue Fringe, a Jewish rock band; Neshama Carlebach, one of Jewish entertainment's top stars; and internationally acclaimed vocalist Gershon Veroba. Other performers include Californians Sam Glaser (Los Angeles), who has performed to audiences around the world, and RebbeSoul (Oakland), a versatile award-winning musician. Saturday evening will begin with an all-star Havdallah service at 7:45 p.m.

SUNDAY, APRIL 2 AT TULANE UNIVERSITY'S MCALISTER HALL ~ DOORS OPEN AT 12 P.M.
The Sunday show will feature a mix of U.S and international stars, including Stacy Beyer (Nashville), an emerging force in contemporary Jewish music; Peri Smilow, a South Orange, New Jersey singer/songwriter, educator, cantorial soloist, and community organizer; Israeli folk singers Susan & Fran; New York's Voices for Israel, a grassroots charity that uses music to promote Jewish unity and solidarity with Israel; and Yom Hadash (Warwick, Rhode Island), one of the top Jewish recording and touring groups in the U.S. The show will conclude with Ukraine's Efim Chorny and special guests the New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars. Comedian Joel Chasnoff will host Sunday's show.

The Saturday, April 1 show is $15 and the Sunday, April 2 show is $10. A $5 discount is available for both shows with valid student ID. A $250 patron ticket (reserved seating) is available. A portion of the proceeds will support Jewish education and cultural enrichment activities in the greater New Orleans area. Tickets are available through TicketWeb.com or by calling (866) 666-8932 toll-free.

The New Orleans International Jewish Music Festival is the brainchild of Washington, D.C.-based artist and sculptor Gary Rosenthal and New Orleans Jewish community leaders, who met last year to discuss ways to infuse Jewish culture, music, and traditions back into the area devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Just prior to Hanukkah, Rosenthal spearheaded a nationwide arts enrichment initiative that inspired Jewish communities to create more than 500 menorahs and dreidels that were donated to families affected by the natural disaster. Individuals or corporations interested in sponsoring or participating in the New Orleans International Jewish Music Festival are encouraged to visit The Gary Rosenthal Collection's Hiddur Mitzvah Web site at www.hiddurmitzvah.org or to contact Shelley Middleberg at (504) 780-5612 or sgmiddle@bellsouth.net.

Gary Rosenthal Collection, The

Gary Rosenthal Collection, The

The Gary Rosenthal's Collection (www.collectgaryrosenthal.com) has been a leader in the American craft movement for nearly 30 years. Combining copper, brass and steel with brilliant fused glass, the collection has a contemporary style rooted in tradition. Pieces from the Collection have been presented to American presidents and are displayed in fine galleries and museums throughout the world. Rosenthal spearheads several socially responsible programs, including The Glass Ribbon Project, Art as a Catalyst and The Hiddur Mitzvah Project, all which practice a distinctive brand of social entrepreneurship designed, funded and implemented by The Gary Rosenthal Collection. Through the sale of a unique line of gifts and awards, Rosenthal generates funds for arts enrichment, education and social service programs.

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