Bonia shur biography of williams

Biography "Bonia Shur's life and musical expression reflected the trajectory of 20th-century Jewish experience, from the destruction of the Shoah to the birth of Israel and the flowering of Jewish culture in America. Together with Fanchon's gifted choreography, his creativity and vitality nurtured the academic and spiritual journeys of our students and enriched the larger community.

His charismatic presence will be missed greatly, and his extraordinary music will endure as a living legacy. Shur had a unique impact on music in the Reform Jewish Movement in America. Bonia became an officer and fought against the Nazis. His amazing tale of escape and army life was documented in a diary he wrote after WWII. Bonia returned to his Zionist activities with Nocham, an organization that prepared people to immigrate to Israel.

Being so involved in the Zionist process, he organized a performing group of singers in which he played accordion, playing Israeli and Yiddish songs. Emissaries from Israel would come to encourage people to go to Israel. They brought new songs with them, thus inspiring Bonia with Israeli Culture. Duringthere were more thanJews in displaced persons camps in Germany.

Bonia and his group performed at these camps and encouraged people to go to Israel. InBonia himself finally boarded a small freight plane to Israel, the Promised Land. As a Jew growing up in Latvia Bonia became a member of the Hashomer Hatzair, a youth group based on the ideals and ideas of Zionism. The idea was to go to Israel and build collective settlements Kibbutzim and build the country.

This was the motivating force that kept their spirits alive before and during World War II. The youth group would do Jewish activities and sing Israeli songs. Bonia and his family had a near escape of the Nazi invasion of Latvia. What ensued was a tale of survival of epic proportions. Bonia lived as refugee for a year, traveling as far as Uzbekistan.

Bonia shur biography of williams

Inthe kibbutz was commissioned by the Israel National Radio to create a Holocaust memorial broadcast about the uprising in Warsaw in Bonia organized a choir and composed a special piece, which was performed on the Israel National Radio. Bonia went to Tel Aviv to meet Nissim Nissimov, the head of the music committee of the labor organization Histadrut.

Nissimov recommended that Bonia study with Paul Ben Chaim, the leading composer of Israel at the time. Paul Ben Chaim knew that Bonia was untrained as a composer, but accepted him because of his musical instincts and melodic power. Bonia studied with him in Tel Aviv once a week for five hours a day for five years, making the half-day commute from the kibbutz.

InBonia won first prize in the Nissimov Competition for young composers. Shur has written and published more than three hundred pieces. In addition to his liturgical settings, he has written for theater, television, and film. Don't miss our latest releases, podcasts, announcements and giveaways throughout the year! Stay up to date with our newsletter.

Artists Bonia Shur —