Sharing Jewish Culture through Music
Mak'hela is the Jewish chorus of Western Massachusetts, dedicated to sharing Jewish culture through the heritage of music.
It’s more than a chorus that sings Jewish music. Its mission is to play an educational role in promoting Jewish music.
Visit our YouTube Channel
Enjoy sample videos of our performances. More are available through our YouTube channel.
Some of the music we perform:
Highlights of the last 10 years have included:
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Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms (with chamber ensemble and percussion)
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Excerpts from Ernest Bloch's Sacred Service (with chamber ensemble)
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Movements from Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah (with First Church of Amherst Choir)
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Franz Josef Haydn's The Heavens are Telling (with Holyoke High School Choir)
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Medley from Fiddler on the Roof
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Medley of music by George Gershwin
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Full concert of music by Salamone Rossi (with the faculty of the Five College Early Music Program)
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Excerpts from Ben Steinberg's Torat Chayim (with chamber ensemble)
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Around the world in many languages!
Music in English:
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Circle Chant (Linda Hirschhorn)
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Rise up my Love (Healey Willan)
Music in Hebrew:
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Samachti (Charles Osborne)
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Dodi Li (arr. Doreen Rao)
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Hine Ma Tov (Allan Naplan)
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Mizmor L'David (Shlomo Carlebach; arr. Jacobson)
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T'fillah (David Burger)
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Shalom Rav (Ben Steinberg)
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Hava Nagila (arr. Daniel Faktori)
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Music in Ladino:
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Hamisha Asar (arr. Nick Page)
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Ocho Kandelikas (arr. Josh Jacobson)
Music in Yiddish:
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Sheyn vi di Levoneh (arr. Jacobson)
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Ale Brider (arr. Jacobson)
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Abi Gezint (arr. Jacobson)
Music in Arabic:
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Fog Elna Khel (folk song arrangement; with members of the Layaali Arabic Music Ensemble)
Music from Uganda:
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Hinei Mah Tov/Labab'wei (sung in Hebrew and Lugandan)
Music in Italian:
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O Com' è gran martire (madrigal by Salamone Rossi)
Upcoming Performances
Tuesday,
September 17, 2024,
FIRST REHEARSAL of the new season!
7:15-9:00 p.m. See you there!
Date TBA
JCC's Rodgers and Hammerstein Gala Event, Springfield, MA
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Interfaith Concert, TBA
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Friday, February 21, 2025,
Shabbat Service at Sinai Temple, Springfield, MA
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Sunday, April 25, 2025, Congregation Ahavas Achim, Keene, NH
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Sunday, May 18, 2025, JCC, Springfield, MA​