Maestro Moves With Personal Story

By COLlive reporter

Maestro Israel Edelson was living his dream as an assistant to Maestro Leonard Bernstein, one of the world’s most renowned conductors, when a “chance” encounter with a “long-bearded” chossid compelled him to search for something beyond music, changing his life forever.

Edelson’s story of wandering and discovery, journeying and purpose, is a magical one. It highlights one of this era’s remarkable themes: how a neshomo can begin to burn brightly when we least expect it. Indeed, time and again the Rebbe spoke about how a chossid is a lamplighter, how it is worth journeying to the furthest reaches of the earth to find that wandering Jew and light the candle within, because every neshomo, at any time and any place, can be ignited.

To retell Edelson’s story, and the story of the era he represents, Lubavitcher Center of Philadelphia and yuvla|media produced, “Wandering Souls, Wandering Candles: A True Story,” an original multimedia production of film and a live piano performance by none other than Maestro Israel Edelson.

Through the seamless weaving of film and music, Edelson’s story, so influenced by his passion for music, comes to life in the most vivid of ways. In his songs you hear his story, in his story you hear his songs.

The production debuted at the yearly community-wide event in Philadelphia, “The Living Legacy Evenings,” hosted by The Lubavitcher Center and the over 30 Chabad institutions citywide.

The evening was chaired by Rabbi Yehuda Shemtov, and was MC’d by Rabbi Yochanan Goldman, who introduced Rabbi Avrohom Shemtov to address the Evening, and Rabbi Shaya Deitsch, who introduced the production.

“Wandering Souls, Wandering Candles: A True Story,” a production of yuvla|media and ZalmanG Productions, was written and directed by Bentzi Avtzon in collaboration with Zalman Glassner (director of photography) and Maestro Israel Edelson (musical director).

For the next several days only, an excerpt of this groundbreaking production can be viewed online. It is taken from the middle of Edelson’s story, and recalls his impressions from his first time at the Rebbe’s Farbrengen and how he remembers the Rebbe saying a ma’amar.

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