Hannah Needleman '12 explores religious identity through a cappella

"I belong to Pizmon (Hebrew for chorus or refrain of a song), the very first collegiate Jewish a cappella group. Started in 1987 by four Columbia University students, and now also encompassing Barnard College and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, Pizmon takes Jewish a cappella music to Jewish communities throughout the globe. We’ll spend a Shabbat at a synagogue in the Northeastern U.S., presenting a large community concert, performing liturgical pieces during Friday evening and Saturday morning services, and conducting music workshops with religious school students. During spring break we’ll travel to farther U.S. destinations or to such countries as Ukraine, Argentina, Israel, and the United Kingdom, performing more than 20 times in old age homes, hospice centers, and schools over the course of 10 days," writes Hannah Needleman '12 about her experiences with Pizmon, an a cappella group bringing music to Jewish communities around the world