How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice -- and join the New Haven chapter of the HaZamir International Jewish Teen Choir.

With members in 27 U.S. chapters plus 10 Israeli cities, HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir is ready to launch its new season. Among the choir's members are 7 or 8 students entering grades 9-12 from the choir's New Haven Chapter. In addition, the leaders of HaZamir New Haven -- Jacob Schonberger and Zoe Schulman -- are encouraging other Jewish teens to join the local chapter for a rewarding experience of music, culture, leadership and friendship. 

If they do, they will be among hundreds of young singers who will gather together for a three-day Festival next spring, culminating in a gala performance at Carnegie Hall in New York on April 7. 

Created in 1993 by Maestro Matthew Lazar of Zamir Choral Foundation as a platform for talented Jewish teens to sing great Jewish music at the highest standard of excellence, the group has, for 30 years, served as a training ground for a new generation of singers, conductors, composers and leaders, investing in young people so that they have a deeper understanding of the values, traditions and glory of Judaism and artistic expression. The Zamir Choral Foundation’s musical programs include North American Jewish Choral Festival; HaZamir Preparatory Program for 7th and 8th graders; HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir; Zamir Noded for young adults 18-30; and the acclaimed Zamir Chorale. 

HaZamir New Haven is conducted by Sarah Shapiro. An accomplished singer, choral composer and conductor, who will receive her M.M. in Choral Conducting at Yale University in 2024. 

This is a life-changing opportunity for these teens, as they express their Jewish identities through their love of music while building strong connections to peers from a range of cultural and economic backgrounds and levels of religious observance,” says Vivian Lazar, the Director of HaZamir. “HaZamir teens perform on the world’s biggest stages, boosting self-esteem and allowing them to achieve great success.” 

As one HaZamir alumnus summed up the experience: “HaZamir taught me invaluable lessons about unity, the power of the collective, Judaism, leadership, and friendship.”

For more information on HaZamir, email hazamir@zamirchoralfoundation.org or visit www.hazamir.org