{"id":192,"date":"2025-09-12T00:00:52","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T00:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jerusalemyouthchorus.org\/blog\/?p=192"},"modified":"2025-09-23T17:39:45","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T17:39:45","slug":"%f0%9f%95%8a%ef%b8%8f%f0%9f%8d%81-announcing-our-canada-tour-from-olive-trees-to-maple-leaves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jerusalemyouthchorus.org\/blog\/%f0%9f%95%8a%ef%b8%8f%f0%9f%8d%81-announcing-our-canada-tour-from-olive-trees-to-maple-leaves\/","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f\ud83c\udf41\u00a0Announcing Our Canada Tour: From Olive Trees to Maple Leaves"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

September 12, 2025 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear JYC Global Family,<\/mark><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gunmen at a Jerusalem bus stop on Monday. Bombings in Doha on Tuesday. An act of political violence in Utah on Wednesday. And on Thursday, the U.S. remembered September 11th. All week, famine has not loosened its grip in Gaza city. Intensified offensives have only compounded the unimaginable suffering in Gaza, and hostages remain in captivity \u2014 many starving.

Each day brings more senseless death as the war drags into its 706th day<\/strong> and hope erodes further. When the world feels so relentlessly torn apart, it is easy to believe nothing can rise from the rubble.

And yet, our singers have returned for another year of programming <\/strong>\u2014 rehearsing not to escape reality, but to reimagine it. And when everything feels like it\u2019s falling apart, one truth remains: music binds us together.<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Announcing Our Olive Trees and Maple Leaves Tour<\/mark><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

That truth is carrying our singers from Jerusalem to Toronto, where \u2013 from October 6-10 \u2013 we will take part in the Glenn Gould Foundation’s inaugural Promise of Music Festival \u2014 the world\u2019s first congress on the social impact of music.<\/strong> Our performance, The Jerusalem Youth Chorus: Hope Rises<\/mark><\/strong><\/a>, will stand alongside some of the most renowned and visionary voices in global music<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From A.R. Rahman, the Oscar-winning composer of Slumdog Millionaire and a living legend of musical innovation, to the trailblazing Fords Orchestra,<\/strong>\u00a0an all-female ensemble whose name means \u201cparadise\u201d in Arabic, our singers will join an extraordinary lineup of artists proving that\u00a0music is a force for survival, justice, and hope.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For JYC\u2019s youth, this invitation is more than a performance. It is a rare<\/strong>opportunity<\/strong>to meet peers from around the world who use music for justice and peace building \u2014 and to bring their own hard-earned wisdom from Jerusalem into conversation on a global stage.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While in Toronto, we are also honored to be welcomed into the Danforth Multifaith Commons<\/strong>, where the Danforth Jewish Circle and their interfaith partners are leading a coalition that embodies what we strive for each day: diverse voices coming together to create harmony across differences. Performing here is more than a concert \u2014 it\u2019s a chance to connect with a community that shares our belief in dialogue, diversity, and the power of song to bring people together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Support Our Singers\u2019 Journey To Toronto \u2192<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

We are building the team to back our singers.<\/mark><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It takes expertise, perseverance, and a deeply collaborative team to bring our singers together\u2014and help them hold everything the world throws at them each day. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve invested in a team that is stronger than ever.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In August, our staff<\/strong> \u2014 Palestinians, Israelis, and Americans, based in Jerusalem and across the US \u2014 gathered for retreat<\/strong>. It was a chorus of difference: musicians, dialogue facilitators, peacebuilders, translators, and administrators uniting across their own divides. In this space, we built the trust and alignment needed to give our singers the brave container they need in order to raise their voices<\/strong> for peace, justice, inclusion, and equality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To bring this vision to a global stage, we are also growing<\/strong> \u2014 investing in our multi-national staff and bringing in extraordinary leaders to make it possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Combining global experience, deep local connections and remarkable vision, Aziza is ensuring our singers not only experience a seamless and inspiring tour, but also engage in deep cultural exchange and meaningful encounters across Toronto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her leadership is essential to carrying JYC from rehearsal rooms in Jerusalem to the world stage.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your monthly gift makes all this\u00a0possible.<\/mark><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n


Our singers are able to rise to stages like Toronto\u2019s Promise of Music Festival because\u00a0people like you believe in them<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 not only in extraordinary moments, but in the week-to-week work of rehearsals, dialogue, and leadership.

That\u2019s why our\u00a0Monthly Giving Program<\/mark><\/a>\u00a0is so vital \u2014 making it possible for young people to keep showing up, week after week, as musicians, leaders, and peace builders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

75% of our operating costs are funded by individuals.<\/strong> <\/strong>And as our world remains mired in violence, injustice, and discrimination, JYC\u2019s work is needed now more than ever. Each gift<\/strong> <\/strong>is more than support \u2014 it<\/strong> is a declaration that hope and harmony can rise above despair.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Join The Monthly Giving Program Today \u2192<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

By giving just $10, $25, or $50\/month, you help:<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n