The Sarah Sommer Chai Folk Ensemble will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a concert at Club Regent Event Centre on November 9, 2024, on the night of Kristallnacht.
On this night, we will sing and dance in defiance of the destruction that was meant to be everlasting but did not succeed. We plan to mourn and celebrate together as a community in the face of yet another attempt to destroy the spirit of the Jewish people. Chai’s concert recognizes the agony, pride and determination of Jews in the diaspora who stand with Israel on this profoundly significant day - a day that is especially meaningful this year in the wake of October 7.
This anniversary concert is the culmination of 60 years of rich history, and the beginning of a new era of Chai. It is also a wonderful example of Jewish pride and life beyond the Holocaust and now, October 7.
We invite everyone to take pride in the tiny example of resilience represented by the long life of Chai (Hebrew for “alive”), a diaspora youth group born in a North End basement that continues, six decades on, to connect Jewish young people to each other, to their Jewish heritage and to Israeli culture.
It matters now more than ever. This special number of 60 is represented by the Hebrew letter samech. Its smooth shape, closed on all sides, is the symbol for support and protection. On the anniversary of the Night of Broken Glass, we will commemorate 60 years of rebuilding, as we come full circle.
This concert is about six decades of the community supporting one another. It’s about being visibly proud of our culture. It’s about resilience. It’s also about the next 60 years of engaging our young people. Chai brings alive the power of music and dance to connect, educate, and celebrate Israeli and Jewish culture with a spirit of inclusion and belonging, and this has never been more critical.