From South Orange Performing Arts Center
SOPAC is kicking off December with two celebrations of Jewish culture. On December 2, join SOPAC at Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel for a Hanukkah concert with Bluegrass band Nefesh Mountain. On December 4, The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC celebrates its 10th anniversary with a special fundraiser and exhibition entitled L’Dor V’Dor: Carrying the Torch.
SOPAC Presents Nefesh Mountain at Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel
THU, DEC 2 at 7:30PM
Tickets: $23-$33
Montclair-based Nefesh Mountain has been hailed as a boundary pushing Bluegrass Americana band. They’re among the first to give voice and openly represent Jewish-American culture, traditions, values and spirituality in the world of American Roots music.
“Nefesh Mountain preaches peace, understanding, and acceptance with musical muscle,” says Rolling Stone magazine.
Fronted by married couple Doni Zasloff (formerly of Mama Doni) and Eric Lindberg, Nefesh Mountain will perform a Hanukkah holiday concert on December 2 at 7:30PM at Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel (432 Scotland Road, South Orange). This concert is presented by the South Orange Performing Arts Center, the original venue for this show. This performance has been relocated to the temple because SOPAC’s mainstage theatre is under renovation due to damages from Hurricane Ida.
“For us, Hanukkah is about the miracles in our lives that surround us every day,” says Zasloff and Lindberg. “These songs remind us of that magic and the joy that we feel during the holidays—dancing, singing, eating and being close to our friends and loved ones.”
Zasloff and Lindberg are the heart of this eclectic offering, alongside longtime bandmate and fiddle player Alan Grubner, David Goldenberg on mandolin and Sam Weber on bass.
Get to know Zasloff, Lindberg and their music by watching this endearing welcome video for SOPAC audiences.
The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery 10th Anniversary Fundraiser
SAT, DEC 4 from 6-9PM
Tickets: $18 – $324
The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC celebrates its 10th anniversary with a special fundraiser and exhibition. L’Dor V’Dor: Carrying the Torch by Jeremy Iris-Williams (Herb and Milly’s grandson) is the first metal art exhibition by this emerging artist. L’dor V’dor is a Hebrew expression meaning “from generation to generation.” This phrase encapsulates the notion of honoring one’s predecessors by passing on wisdom, traditions and stories. The Iris family perfectly embodies the significance of this expression. Milly established the Iris Gallery in 2011 to honor her late husband, Herb. Once Milly passed in 2014, the couple’s daughters, Roreé and Kerry, honored their parents through continued support of the Iris Gallery. Now, Roreé’s son Jeremy is exhibiting in the art Gallery.
“Jeremy Iris-Williams is a torch bearer, both figuratively and literally,” says Iris Gallery curator Jeremy Moss. “He continues the creative lineage of his Nona, Milly Iris, who inspired him to become the artist he is today.”
Milly fueled her grandson’s creative flame and Jeremy is proud to “carry the torch.” His exhibition in The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery honors his Nona and recognizes the ways in which art binds people together. May their intergenerational bond and dedication to the arts inspire a creative spark in other’s lives.
The L’Dor V’Dor: Carrying the Torch exhibition will be on view from December 4, 2021-January 30, 2022. An opening reception fundraiser will be held on December 4 from 6-9 PM. Visitors can purchase tickets to the Opening Reception or contribute to the Gallery Fundraiser through SOPACnow.org. Ticket levels are based on Giving Chai, the longstanding Jewish tradition of gifting in increments of $18, or a multiple thereof.
