The Jewish community is invited to hear Rabbi Shlomo Katz in concert at 8 p.m. on Saturday night, Dec. 19, in the Social Hall of the Jewish Community Campus. He will also be the guest of Congregation BIAV for a Shabbaton the weekend of Dec. 18 and 19. The community is welcome to attend any and all events at the synagogue as well.
“BIAV is very excited to host Shlomo Katz for Shabbat and host a concert on Saturday night in partnership with the JCC for the whole community. My hope is that that Shlomo’s songs and spirit will uplift us especially during these difficult times in Israel and around the world,” commented BIAV’s Rabbi Dani Rockoff.
Jill Maidhof, The J’s director of Jewish Life and Learning, added, “We were delighted to be contacted by Josh Wajcman and BIAV to participate in offering this event. This is the kind of collaboration that results in great programs for the community.”
All the way from the land of Israel, Rabbi Katz will lead a Carlebach style Kabbalat Shabbat service on Dec. 18 at BIAV. That same night he will attend a Shabbat dinner as well as an oneg following dinner, to take place at approximately 8 p.m., where the rabbi will lead a singalong. He will also lead services on Shabbat morning, Dec. 19, as well as children’s programs. On Saturday night he will lead Havdalah followed by a concert; with doors opening at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the concert are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Tickets may be purchased at biav.org/shlomo-katz, by calling The J box office at 913-327-8000 or by calling the BIAV office at 913-241-2444. Those interested in dinner Friday night may also call the synagogue office for information and reservations.
“I’m a Jew privileged to be living in Israel and I come sharing a message of peace, love, hope and a desire for all of us to become to the heart of the whole world, which is Jerusalem where I come from,” said Rabbi Katz, who has lived in Israel for 26 years.
Rabbi Katz was born into a family of musicians. The family’s rich musical tradition goes back many generations including his father, master musician and Hazzan Avshalom Katz. Rabbi Shlomo Katz is a prolific composer of music, both solo and in collaboration with his brother, Eitan Katz, Yehuda Solomon of Moshav and Chaim David. Rabbi Katz’s professional musical career began when his father and brother recorded their first CD “Eilecha.” Since the release of the CD, Rabbi Katz has toured throughout the United States, Israel, Argentina, Costa Rica, Australia, Hong Kong, Belgium, Canada, England and Germany.
Josh Wajcman, an Overland Park native who grew up attending BIAV, is one of the weekend’s organizers and a friend of Rabbi Katz. He thinks the timing of this event is perfect.
“Everybody knows that Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights. When Hanukkah is ending and that last light is burning out, there is nothing more we would rather do than stay on that spiritual level when we feel so high and so alive, it’s hard to hold onto that last light once Hanukkah ends. So the very next Shabbos we wanted to have a Shabbaton open to all of Am Yisrael, not just our congregants, where we can extend the light together as one,” Wajcman said.
Rabbi Katz received his rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Chaim Brovender and Rabbi Shlomo Riskin at Yeshivat Hamivtar. He has been an integral part of building the “Shlomo Carlebach Legacy Trust,” which has been working to preserve, to publish and to distribute the legacy of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach.
Since 2005 he has released solo albums “Vehakohanim” and “Maleh Olam,” as well as a collaboration album with Chaim Dovid and Ahron Razel entitled “Keshoshana.” In 2014 he released the album “Like at Shabbat,” which focused on previously unreleased Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach songs.
He also teaches at Yeshivat Torah Shraga and Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo. He lives in Neve Daniel with his wife and daughters.
“We’re hoping people will open their hearts and have a nice night at the concert,” Wajcman said.