Out & About

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CEO Transitions at AFIPO

Welcoming Jennifer Ritvo Hughes as our New CEO and Expressing Gratitude to Danielle Ames Spivak We hope this message finds you well, filled with anticipation for the exciting future ahead. Today, we bid farewell to a remarkable leader and warmly welcome a new CEO who will undoubtedly guide us to new heights. After years of dedicated service, Danielle Ames Spivak is stepping down from her role as Executive Vice President and CEO of AFIPO. Danielle’s visionary leadership, unwavering commitment, and extraordinary contribu...

Interview with Miriam Hartman and Noa Beazley

AFIPO interviewed Principal Violist Miriam Hartman and her daughter Noa Beazley, who was recently appointed Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music, about the role music played in their family and in shaping their careers. Read the full interview below! 1) Miriam, how did your career as a musician shape the way you raised Noa in her younger years? Noa, what role did music play in your life as a child? Miriam: Whi...

A Young Prolific Pianist

Education for a Young Pianist At the age of seven, Nabeel Hayek began playing his favorite instrument: the piano. At the time, Nabeel was studying as a pianist at the Polyphony Conservatory in his hometown of Nazareth, a school that is recognized around the world for uniting young Jewish and Arab musicians. Over the past few years, Nabeel performed solo recitals and chamber music with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Israel Chamber Orchestra, and the Israel Symphony Orchestra on a regular basis. Plus, he participated in gl...

Manfried Glucksmann: Giving With a Plan for the Future

Manfried Glucksmann Although Manfried Glucksmann didn’t have an easy life — especially in his earlier years — he kept the importance of giving back at the forefront of his mind and actions throughout his life, and most notably after his passing with his incredibly generous gift to the Israel Phil. Manfried was an early supporter of Sulamot program, along with Sandy and Jerry Seligsohn, who helped to establish the pr...

An Orchestra Romance with Micha and Shelly Davis

Micha and Shelly Davis Micha and Shelly Davis share a love for the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra—and for each other. The Orchestra is lucky to have the world-class trombone and clarinet musicians, and the wonderful couple feels lucky to have found each other. Micha plays bass trombone in the Orchestra. He regularly takes part in KeyNote (the Israel Phil’s classical music education and community-building programs) ...

The Future Is Bright to AFIPO President Jim Ackerman

Roni and Jim Ackerman The Israel Philharmonic ended the year on a high note, celebrating its 85th anniversary with a birthday celebration complete with musical legends. To start an exciting new year, we got the chance to talk with AFIPO President Jim Ackerman about special moments from past galas and his vision for the future. Thank you so much for carving out some time tonight, Jim. First off, tell us how y...

From Systems to Symphonies with Morton Meyerson

Morton Meyerson AFIPO Executive Director, West Coast Justin Pressman: Thank you so much for taking this time to speak with us, Morton. You were the first person that came to mind when I was tasked to find a venue for our Dallas-Fort Worth event. I think you exemplify both of the distinguishing features of the Israel Philharmonic- both a connection to classical music, and a connection to Judaism and Israel. I’...

Honoring a Lifetime Commitment to Jewish Learning: Harold Grinspoon

Winnie and Harold Grinspoon Through the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and its flagship program (and AFIPO programming partner!) PJ library, Grinspoon has been an invaluable champion for the cultural enrichment of the Jewish community, providing an accessible way for families from all backgrounds to engage with Jewish history, traditions, and values. This month, we sat down with Harold and his daughter-in-law Winnie to speak...

Lynn Syms of the Sy Syms Foundation on Life-Long Dedication to the Arts

Lynn Syms (center) at an AFIPO benefit event at the Pierre, New York. Photo by Chris Lee. The Sy Syms Foundation recently announced a $100,000 matching grant dedicated to AFIPO’s digital programming which reaches millions of viewers in more than 80 countries across the globe . To celebrate this generous gift, we had the pleasure of chatting with Sy Syms Foundation board member and former AFIPO Board President Lynn Sy...

Assucena Assucena on Creative Expression and Identity

We had the opportunity to chat with up-and-coming Jewish Brazilian artist Assucena Assucena, as she celebrates her two consecutive Latin Grammy nominations with her band As Baías—and breaks barriers as the first trans artist to be nominated for the award alongside her fellow bandmate Raquel Virgínia. Read more about our conversation where we talk everything from Jewish and LGBTQ+ identity in Brazil, music and culture ...

When the Core Values of a Financial Company and an Orchestra Merge to Make A Better World for the Children

The Israel Philharmonic has always been about bringing out the positivity in humanity through the arts. Part of that comes from taking a hard look at what the Philharmonic can do better. That is why this month’s theme for the American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic is “Think Green.” The peril of being a renowned musical orchestra that tours the world is that excessive use of air travel increases one’s carbon f...

Thinking Green with Young Patrons Circle Member Sydney Krueger

To further celebrate “Think Green,” we sat down with Young Patrons Circle member Sydney Krueger, a leading consultant in clean energy transportation and classical music enthusiast, who shared her thoughts on sustainability, symphonic sound, and supporting the AFIPO x Aspiration partnership. Tell us about how you got involved with clean energy and why you feel so passionate about this work. It’s in my blood—...

Hans Lewitus: Music and Memories

Go back in time to the earliest beginnings of the Israel Philharmonic, then called the Palestine Symphony Orchestra, with Eva Lewitus, widow of original founding member Hans Lewitus, clarinetist. Eva’s first-person testimony is a riveting oral history of the fascinating but little-known members that made the Israel Phil what it is today. My name is Eva Lewitus. My husband, clarinetist Hans Lewitus, was one of the founding members of the Israel Philharmonic, then called the Palestine Symphony Orchestra. He was recr...

Five Questions on Life, Loss, and Moving Forward with Rabbi Steve Leder

Steve Leder is the senior rabbi of Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles and author of the #1 new release on Amazon (Love & Loss), The Beauty of What Remains. In January 2021, Rabbi Leder joined CEO and Executive Vice President Danielle Ames Spivak in a profound Schmoozic! discussion about what it takes to find love through loss, how the music of our childhood can provide us comfort in difficult times, and how w...

On Creative Relationships with Entertainment Agent Jeremy Barber

It is often said that business—and life—is all about relationships. There is perhaps no one better to attest to this than community member and talent agent Jeremy Barber—a fierce proponent of creativity and an emphatic supporter of classical music and the arts. This month, we spoke to Jeremy about his whirlwind life as a partner at a talent agency, the necessity of forming connections based on “creative partnershi...

Danielle’s Letter (January 2021)

As you probably know, the founding musicians of the Israel Philharmonic were Europe’s leading Orchestra musicians who were given the opportunity to flee Nazism by the courageous visionary Bronisław Huberman. This month, on January 27th, we will be recognizing the annual International Holocaust Remembrance Day. In observance of this significant event, this issue focuses on friends of the Israel Philharmonic of all a...

Generational Memory: Spotlighting Holocaust Families with Lauren Pantzer

At the Israel Philharmonic, we are immensely proud of the connections we build with audiences of all ages. This month, we chose to highlight AFIPO community member 16-year-old Lauren Pantzer, whose passions for photojournalism and storytelling propelled her to create From One Life, a photographic journey through the lives of five families of Holocaust survivors. As a young student of history and a budding author, w...

The Incredible Life of Dr. George Berci

Few people can boast a more accomplished life than Dr. George Berci. Perhaps best known for his groundbreaking work in the field of endoscopic surgery, Dr. Berci is so much more—an accomplished violinist, Holocaust survivor, medical pioneer, and worldly scholar to name just a few. We had the immense honor of speaking to the 99-year-old surgeon and current staff member of Cedars Sinai, Los Angeles for a conversation abou...

A Peek Behind the Scenes

By Danielle Ames Spivak, Executive Vice President & CEO of the American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Let me take you behind the scenes of an event we are currently planning, the Israel Philharmonic Pre-Hanukkah Global Celebration. We knew instinctively that it would center on messages of light, hope, and miracles. The winter holidays always focus on those themes, yet they are more timely and relevant than ever in this difficult year. This kernel of inspiration developed into the ambitious project of lini...

Danielle’s Letter (October)

Danielle Ames Spivak is Executive Vice President and CEO of American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. In our monthly newsletter, she opens with thoughts on music, community, and the role the Israel Philharmonic plays in our lives. Below is her letter from the October 2020 newsletter. John D. Rockefeller was a successful businessman and famous for always keeping quiet in meetings. He explained his silence by saying that the less he spoke, the more he heard. Rockefeller understood that wisdom can be achieved by li...

First Impressions with Attachment Theory Expert Dr. Miriam Steele

Dr. Miriam Steele is a professor of Clinical Psychology at the New School for Social Research whose research focuses on attachment theory and parent-child relationships. We were lucky enough to sit down with Dr. Steele for a discussion about what it takes for parents to develop meaningful relationships with their kids, how COVID-19 has impacted our youth, and how we can bring out the best in our children through the arts ...

Light, Sound, and Space: How AFIPO Supporter Joel Horwich Supports Innovative Art

What was it like to hear Mozart’s 19th String Quartet for the first time, in 1785? Or to be the among the first to see Peter Paul Rubens, “Judgment of Solomon” in 1614? That feeling of hearing or seeing something created by visionary artists, who are pushing the boundaries of their craft, is exciting. And this innovation happens thanks to sponsorship. Joel Horwich, a retired American Airlines pilot, has put a lo...

Trending with Israel Phil’s Emanuele Silvestri

As the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic set in and people everywhere were forced to shelter in their homes, Israel Philharmonic Principal Cello Emanuele Silvestri took to his rooftop. At a moment when our world desperately sought the connectivity, solace, and community offered by live classical performances, Emanuele forged a unique and innovative solution from the top floor of his apartment. His aptly titled Rooftop Co...

Breaking Bread with Israel Phil’s Guy Eshed

If the yeast shortages around the globe are any indication, people are embracing the art of baking to alleviate quarantine-induced stress. Guy Eshed—a skilled baker/chef and Principal Flute of the Israel Phil—was ahead of the trend. Take one look at Guy’s Instagram and you will find a delectable assemblage of pastas, pies, breads, tarts, and even pretzels in all of their gluten-y goodness. We had the chance to speak...

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