Around one hundred members of the Jewish Community of Piedmont and their friends welcomed award-winning musician and educator Eliana Light for a family concert in Piedmont Park on Sept. 18. Joining her on drums was Bay Area native Gabriel Lehrman.
The event was sponsored by the Jewish Community of Piedmont and PJ Library, a nonprofit that provides free Jewish children’s books, music, and other resources to families with young children.
A native of North Carolina, Light is currently on her “Elul Tour,” a tour that aims to bring people together in song all across the country in the Jewish month leading up to the high holidays, a time of reflection and connection.
“It was wonderful to feel the warm embrace of the Jewish community of Piedmont and Oakland, and to laugh and sing along with this amazing community,” said Light. “May this be a year of light and hope for all.”
“It was an honor to bring such a renowned talent like Eliana to our community,” said event organizer Donna Friedman Meir. “It filled my heart to see the park filled with families singing and dancing together, celebrating our Jewish heritage at a challenging time for our community. As always, our goal is to bring people together for
joy, meaning and connection… Wednesday night’s picnic in the park most definitely achieved that.”
● In these challenging times, music has the power to open our hearts and help us find joy
in connection with one another. This was powerfully demonstrated on Wednesday
evening as our community ate, sang and danced together behind the beautiful Exedra
Plaza.
● Music also has the power to teach! Eliana’s songs for kids aim to be Schoolhouse Rock,
with a Jewish twist. Her concert focused on songs all about the fall holidays – like “Happy
Birthday World’ highlighting how Rosh Hashanah as the birthday of the world and “Tap
Your Heart,” a family-friendly Ashamnu, a traditional Jewish prayer of repentance recited
every Yom Kippur.
The Piedmont family concert is one of five Bay Area stops on Light’s Elul Tour; the final three are this weekend.