J. M. Sorkin - An Evening of Arab Jewish Harmony

An Evening of Arab Jewish Harmony

You are here:
J.M.Sorkin -> Special Events by J.M. Sorkin -> An Evening of Arab Jewish Harmony

On Tuesday evening, January 14th, 2003, J.M. SORKIN celebrated the 50th Birthday of J.M. SORKIN founder, Jerry Sorkin, with a very special musical event:

“An Evening of Arab Jewish Harmony”

The evening consisted of a classical music concert, featuring the acclaimed Israeli cellist, Inbal Megiddo and Palestinian pianist, Saleem Abboud Ashkar. Mr. Ashkar and Ms. Megiddo first met in 2001 at the West-East Divan workshop in Chicago, under the leadership of Maestro Daniel Barenboim and again for the 2002 West-East Divan in Seville, Spain.

Cellist Inbal Megiddo and pianist Saleem Abboud Ashkar

Israeli Inbal Megiddo began her cello studies at the age of two and gave her first public performance a year later. At the age of five, she began studying at the Rubin Academy in Jerusalem and continued her studies at the Royal conservatory in The Hague and at Tel Aviv University. She completed her undergraduate degree at Yale University and her Master’s degree and Artist Diploma at the Yale School of Music.

Ms. Megiddo has performed as a soloist and member of chamber ensembles in Israel, Europe, Asia and the United States, including solo performances with the Prague Chamber Orchestra, the Boston Classical

Orchestra, and the Berliner Symphoniker. She was a featured soloist at the 50th anniversary celebration of the United Nations in Singapore and in 1995 she performed Stutchewsky's "Kaddish" at the memorial service for Yitzhak Rabin in Madison Square Garden. Recent performances have been at Carnegie Hall in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and the Jerusalem Radio Symphony under the baton of Maestro Sergio Comissiona. Ms. Megiddo has been a repeat winner of the America Israel Cultural Foundation award.

Saleem Abboud Ashkar was born in Nazareth, Israel. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Hochschule for Music and Theater in Hanover, Germany.

Mr. Ashkar made his Carnegie Hall debut under the baton of Maestro Daniel Barenboim and has played with world-renowned orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony, the Berlin Staatsoper and the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig. He has worked with conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Zubin Mehta and Lawrence Foster. Mr. Ashkar plays regularly with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, the Israeli Chamber Orchestra, the Jerusalem Camerata and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, as well as performing as a soloist and with orchestras in Frankfurt, Florence, Warsaw, Brussels, Amsterdam, Oslo, Paris and Berlin. Currently based in Berlin, he was awarded "The Young Talent of the Year 2000" prize at the Ruhrgebit Piano Festival in Germany. In 1998 he was awarded the Palestine Prize.

The free concert was held at the historic Wayne Presbyterian Church in Wayne, Pennsylvania, a two minute walk from Sorkin’s store, J.M. SORKIN.

Jerry Sorkin giving the opening remarks prior to the concert

As Pauline Pinard Bogaert, a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer noted in her January 21st column,

“Sorkin”…“put his money where his philosophy was…”. “Sorkin said that for years he has quietly been involved in uniting Palestinians and Jews. In August (2002) he heard about Megiddo and Ashkar’s national tour and decided to fund a concert here”.

The concert attracted some 600 plus attendees, who listened to the dynamic musical duo performing Boccerhini, Shostakovich, Beethoven and De Falla. Following the concert, nearly half the audience The audience at the concert

mingled at a free dessert reception with the musicians, sponsored by Jerry Sorkin, within the exotic setting of J.M.SORKIN. Among the many attendees of the concert and reception were Israelis, Palestinians, Egyptians, Tunisians, Lebanese and more, bringing together a unique audience to share the spirit of the evening. Jerry Sorkin, who has been involved in Middle East peace efforts since the late 1970’s, trying to bridge the divides between Jews and Arabs, noted

"Peace can only come between Arabs and Jews when each accepts the other as equals and as partners in peace,"... "Saleem and Inbal's musical partnership is a symbol of what can be!"

Jerry Sorkin had also arranged for a full school assembly on the following morning at the Radnor Senior High School. This provided an opportunity for the 800 students to not only hear music from such talented musicians, but to also learn about bridging diversity through culture.

J.M. SORKIN noted special thanks to Dr. John Galloway, Jr. and the Wayne Presbyterian Church for their generous hospitality and to Judy Sherry, of the Radnor Township School Board for her efforts in helping bring this message to the youth of the community.

Jerry Sorkin being welcomed to the podium by Dr. John Galloway, Jr. of the Wayne Presbyterian Church

Scenes of some of the nearly 300 people who attended the post-concert dessert reception at J.M. SORKIN