Note: per Cape Cod Synagogue Covid protocols, proof of vaccination must be presented or you must be on the vaccinated list with the Synagogue in order to enter the Cape Cod Synagogue building or attend a Synagogue event. Masks are optional.
Sources/credits/re-print courtesy of: highresaudio.com and Jerusalem Post.
Please join Cape Cod Synagogue for a very special musical Kabbalat Shabbat Service featuring Israeli singer and recording artist, Bat Ella Birnbaum and her son, Nitzan Birnbaum, on her Debbie Friedman Tribute American tour.
This special evening is brought to you by the Cape Cod Synagogue’s Israeli Action Committee with the express assistance of our member Natalie Guerin and sponsored in part by the Cantor Bruce Malin Music Fund.
Bat Ella, an Israeli soul singer and graduate of the IDF Performing Art Troupe Lehakat Pikud Darom, grew up in Dimona to parents of Allep and Persian origins. She is the daughter-in-law of Rabbi Erwin Birnbaum of Bet Israel in Netanya, Natalie Guerin’s Israeli congregation.
Bat Ella made it her mission to pursue the value of Kiruv l’vavot (bringing souls together) between Jews and Muslims, secular and religious, and Jews in Israel and in the Diaspora. Bat Ella has five albums.
Bat Ella met Debbie Friedman in 1994 and the two singers toured together in the U.S. and Europe. Friedman’s music and performing in those communities had a significant impact on Bat Ella, and she was the first person to translate Friedman’s songs into Hebrew with her Lechi Lach project. She said every song in her albums is at least inspired by Friedman’s music. Bat Ella’s music is a combination of Friedman’s folk style and Bat Ella’s experience living within the diverse Israeli culture.
Nitzan, who is also an internationally recognized drummer, music composer, singer and songwriter, began his relationship with music at the age of 6 and is a graduate of the Jazz Department at Thelma Yellin High School of Arts.
At age 17, Nitzan received a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music’s summer program, and also won a full scholarship at Berklee for his bachelor’s degree which he chose to give up for the IDF service. Nitzan served as an “outstanding musician” and preformed hundreds of times before military and civilian audiences.
While at the IDF, Nitzan received a “Merit Excellent” Scholarship from the AICF: America-Israel-Cultural-Foundation and also won first place in the Rimon School of Music competition – “Jazz Player of the Year”, where he studied in the “Jazz Institute” honors course.
Now, as a citizen, he again won a full scholarship to complete his undergraduate studies at Berklee where he is currently attending. Nitzan plays on Israeli and international stages in various projects and collaborates with many international and Israeli artists, including with his mother-musician and renowned Israeli soul singer, Bat Ella.
A full range of sneek peeks can be found by clicking the link here to
Bat Ella’s Youtube Videos.
