We are delighted to announce that Judy Pike, Zamir alto since 2010, has been elected to serve as president of the chorus. Elana Rome, soprano, will serve as vice president. Leadership of the chorus is a volunteer undertaking and involves countless hours of organizing, attending board and staff meetings, decision making, and, most important, communicating the needs and concerns of the choir to the artistic director.

Newly elected Zamir Chorale of Boston chorus president, Judy Pike

Judy has served in leadership positions before, including two years as chair of the board of trustees of Temple Aliyah (Needham), four years as a vice president of Temple Aliyah, and three years as president of a women's business networking group. A current Zamir board member, Judy is an attorney in solo practice concentrating in real estate and estate planning. "I am humbled and hugely honored to represent Zamir as its president. I hope to introduce new innovations to strengthen all aspects of the group, and to make our time together more fun as well as musically satisfying," says Judy. "Zamir nurtures my soul, and I so wish to give back to thank the group for all it has given me."

Elana Rome

Elana Rome, a Newton native now in her fifth year in Zamir, is a sixth-grade math teacher at Brown Middle School. "I am thrilled," she says, "to be able to take on more of a leadership role in Zamir and be able to give back to this incredible community that has brought so much wonderful music and friendship into my life."

Susan Rubin

Zamir is deeply grateful to Susan Rubin, outgoing president. After 12 years of dedicated service, Susan has stepped aside to "allow others the opportunity to lead this dynamic group of talented singers." In addition to devoting time to her graphic design and musical theater pursuits, Susan looks forward to a lifetime of song and friendship with Zamir. In a note to the group, Susan said, "I am honored to have served as your president and it was a difficult decision for me to step down. Zamir is my family--my musical and spiritual home--and I will continue to strive to give back some of the joy, insight, and love I receive from each and every one of you."

Deborah Melkin

Deborah Melkin, outgoing vice president, served since 2005. A database administrator by day, Deborah said: "One of the things that makes Zamir so special is the people in it and they're definitely a kind of second family to me. It's been a privilege and an honor that the group has allowed me be their VP for as long as they have, getting to work with everyone and seeing how passionate and talented they are."

Debbie West, Susan Rubin, and Deborah Melkin as the  "Andrews Sisters"

The Susan-Deborah dynamic duo (in addition to being two-thirds of our "Ba Mir Bistu Sheyn" Andrews Sisters) brought creativity, spirit, and dedication, and made a lasting contribution to the Chorale's

One of the most beloved songs to any Zionist is Israel's national anthem, "Hatikvah." Let's delve a little into its history. The lyrics were written by Naphtali Herz Imber, born in 1856 into a Hasidic family in Galicia. He received a traditional education but left home at an early age to wander around the world. He came to Palestine in 1882 and stayed for six years writing essays, poetry, and articles for Hebrew periodicals. In 1892, Imber went to the United States, where he was active as a writer and editor. In spite of his intellectual achievements, he found it impossible to make a decent living. He died in poverty of chronic alcoholism in New York City at the age of 53.

In 1882, Imber was visiting Rishon LeTsiyyon in Palestine and read for the residents of this pioneering settlement a poem he had written four years earlier, originally entitled "Tikvateynu" ("Our Hope"). In the first line of the refrain, Imber wrote, "Our hope is not yet lost" (od lo aveda tikvateinu), referencing a vision of the prophet Ezekiel (chapter 37), written in exile in Babylon: "And God said to me, O mortal, these bones are the whole House of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up, our hope is lost; we are doomed.' Prophesy, therefore, and say to them, 'Thus said the Lord God: I am going to open your graves and lift you out of the graves, O My people, and bring you to the land of Israel.'"

But where did the music come from? In 1878, Samuel Cohen, a farmer from Moldavia, immigrated to Palestine and settled in Rishon LeTsiyyon. He was there in 1882 when Imber visited the colony and read his poem. Inspired by Imber's reading, Cohen sang "Hatikvah" to the tune of a farmer's folk song that he remembered from his native Moldavia, "Carul Cu Boi" ("Cart and Oxen").

Imber and "Hatikvah"

Many have noticed the similarity of this melody to the theme from Bedrich Smetana's symphonic work The Moldau (Vltava), composed in 1874. Indeed, the Czech composer Smetana was deliberately using that same folk song from his native land to give his tone peom a nationalistic flavor.

Coincidentally, the melody also resembles many popular songs, including the Sephardic melody for chanting Tal, the prayers for dew; a Spanish Cathloic hymn, "Virgen de la Cueva"; and a popular dance from 16th-century Italy, "Ballo di Mantova." The rising fifth, followed by a decorative upper neighbor, then falling to the opening tonic pitch can also be heard in "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," itself based on the 18th-century French song "Ah vous dirai-je, maman." One musicologist has referred to our tune as a "wandering melody"--an archetype that pops up all over Europe.

In any event, Imber's poem, now linked with the Moldavian melody, became very popular. In 1895, the words, together with the music, were first published in Leipzig. In 1901, one of the sessions at the fifth Zionist congress in Basel concluded with the delegates singing "Hatikvah," and at the 18th Zionist Congress in 1933, a resolution was passed declaring "Hatikvah" the official Zionist anthem.

But when was "Hatikvah" made the national anthem of Israel? For many years, the Knesset refused to endorse "Hatikvah" as the official anthem. Many Orthodox Jews were upset that there was no mention of God in the lyrics of this song. They preferred Psalm 126 as their anthem. Non-Jewish citizens of Israel felt that the lyrics, beginning with a pointed reference to the "Jewish soul," excluded them. But on November 10, 2004, the Knesset finally adopted "Hatikvah" as Israel's official national anthem by a vote of 38 to 8.