The Bilerico Project | Daily experiments in LGBTQ

Next Sunday, February 13, the Community Chorus of NYC's Congregration Beth Simchat Torah, the oldest and largest LGBT synagogue in the world, will hold its annual concert at Merkin Concert Hall, 129 West 67th Street, New York City, at 3:00 pm.

It is a "not-to-be missed concert of pulsating, breathtakingly beautiful Israeli popular music. Inspired by Yemenite, Middle Eastern, Ethiopian, Ashkenazic and even jazz influences, the Israeli music of today is a dynamic fusion of politics, culture, history, and passionate ideals."

Here's a short clip of our chorus practicing "Mizmor Layla," which I would translate as "Night Poem," which we'll sing at the concert. It was recorded on my little Droid from the alto section, so you have to endure more of my off-tune warble, with the basses booming and the sopranos muffled, than you'll get in the concert. But I'm so darn proud of us. With the exception of me, everyone is a top-notch musician.

I invite you to come to our concert, which is a fundraiser for the synagogue, if you're in NYC next Sunday (Feb 13). Students get half-price tickets. You can buy tickets here. More info after the jump.

Here we are: Joyce Rosenzweig & The CBST Community Chorus: Mizmor Layla(1:30)

The song was composed by Achinoam Nini and Gil Dor, arranged by Gilad Cohen, with lyrics from the poet Leah Goldberg.

The concert will honor Joyce Rosenzweig, our chorus director since 1994, who is a world-renowned figure in Jewish music and in the education of cantors and synagogue musicians. I'm proud to have been a member of the Chorus since 1999, though I've taken several long breaks over the years. We all love Joyce, who is

The concert is titled "Spicy Tzimmes: Flavors and Fusion From Israel." The concert will include Magda Fishman, who is our Cantorial Intern with a breathtaking voice, as well as Israeli composer/pianist/guitarist Gilad Cohen, and bouzouki and guitar virtuoso Avram Pengas