Join us for a lively and spirited Kabblat Shabbat service featuring our Musicians in Residence, Or and Feliza Zohar. Or and Feliza together with an ensemble of our own Beth El musicians will combine some of their outstanding original prayer settings with some of our familiar melodies. Not only will the service be spiritually moving but physically moving, too – as it will be almost impossible to sit still when experiencing the wonderful music we will make together. Friday night services will also be viewable on our Chapel Live Stream:https://venue.streamspot.com/b28df29b.

Click here to check out their music.

Music In Residence Weekend with Feliza & Or Zohar
By Robby Erlich

After a two-year hiatus due to the global pandemic, the Galilee-based musical duo Feliza & Or Zohar are resuming their international tours, with Omaha, Nebraska as their first stop. During their visit, they will visit Beth El, Temple Israel and the Omaha Tri-Faith Center.

Beth El and Temple Israel are pleased to welcome the Zohars on November 12 and 13. Rabbi Or and Feliza will join Beth El for Kabbalat Shabbat services (Nov 12) at 6:00pm and at Beth El for Shabbat Morning services (Nov 13) at 10:00 am.  Furthermore, on the evening of the 13, the Zohars will be holding a community Havdallah and a Beit Cafe Concert at Beth El at 7:00pm (please note, this concert was originally scheduled to take place at Temple Israel but the location has been changed to Beth El). Friday and Saturday services and programming are being generously sponsored by the Albert and Eleanor Feldman Family Israel Foundation.   

"Our area in Northern Israel is culturally diverse, with a mixed Jewish and Arab population living in a shared society," says Kabbalah scholar, musician and Reform rabbi, Or Zohar. "Back home, we strive to strengthen ties between the various communities in our region. As we travel and share our music, we try to convey the message that our religions and spiritual traditions should be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem."

"Over the past two years,” says singer and multidisciplinary artist Feliza Bascara Zohar, “we have been focusing our energy inwards, acting locally and making the best out of tough situation. We’ve learned that times of crisis can also bring forth positive opportunities for healing and transformation. It’s good to be able to travel once again, make new friends, establish real human connections and build bridges through spiritual worship."

After their visit to Omaha, Feliza and Rabbi Or Zohar will continue their tour in the New Jersey and New York City area. When they return to Israel, they hope to bring back experiences that will inspire their continuing work to promote the values of religious pluralism, Jewish-Arab co-existence, and creative, innovative expression in spiritual worship.

Beth El’s Hazzan Michael Krausman said, “It has been our practice over the last few years, to introduce different approaches to our sacred liturgical traditions to our Omaha community. Rabbi Zohar & Feliza not only present fresh, exciting and engaging musical interpretations of our prayers but they represent an Israeli liberal musical culture that we in Omaha rarely have a chance to experience. This is a unique opportunity to welcome some incredibly talented and sensitive artists and teachers to Beth El but also strengthen our connection to the land and people of Israel.”

For Cantor Joanna Alexander at Temple Israel, she is looking forward to the community collaboration and the Zohar’s wealth of expertise.  “I am so excited to learn from and sing with my friends and colleagues Rabbi Or and Feliza Zohar. It is such an exciting opportunity to collaborate between both the Jewish communities and the Tri-Faith communities as we learn music, worship, and the lived stories of shared living in the Holy Land.”

Rabbi Or and Feliza Zohar are extraordinarily compelling teachers and performers, The music which he and his wife, Feliza, have created together makes traditional Jewish texts dance to new melodies and rhythms, joyful and contemplative and spiritually provocative. Or is the Hebrew word for light; Rabbi Or Zohar cultivates and shares the light of Torah.  Our community is thrilled and privileged to welcome them to our community here in Omaha, and hope you’ll join us in being with Rabbi Zohar & Feliza and spreading the light that they bring!

No reservations are required for the weekend programming at Beth El. Live Stream will be available for Kabbalat Shabbat Services and for Shabbat Morning Services. The Saturday night concert can be viewed on Beth El's Facebook page. For more information, contact Robby Erlich, Engagement Coordinator at rerlich@bethel-omaha.org.