A World of Jewish Culture at Piccolo Spoleto began in 1998 as a public celebration of Israel’s 50th birthday. Now in its 20th year, AWOJC 2018 commemorates Israel at 70, while also celebrating Charleston’s history of more than 300 years of continuous Jewish settlement.

AWOJC is sponsored by the Herzman-Fishman Charitable Fund, with a supplemental grant from Mindy Seltzer and Bob Lovinger and support from others.

JEWISH COFFEEHOUSE at SAFFRON CAFÉ

Back by popular demand, music leaders from Congregation Bet Haverim in Atlanta bring their vibrant voice and spirit to the Jewish Coffeehouse for an encore performance. Will Robertson, Gayanne Geurin, Brad Davidorf and Sarah Zaslaw — singers accompanied by violin, accordion and guitar — travel the spectrum of eras and places, languages and moods, honoring facets of the Jewish experience.

DATE: Sat., June 2, 9 p.m.

VENUE: Saffron Café, 333 East Bay Street

ADMISSION: $10

The Jewish Choral Society presents Visions of Jewish Music

The Jewish Choral Society, under the direction of Madeline List Hershenson, is proud to be celebrating its 19th season. This year, the JCS will join with several local soloists to create a varied program of Jewish music in celebration of Israel at 70. Repertoire will include music that represents the diverse culture of Israel: folk songs, traditional songs from Eastern Europe, sacred music, Yiddish songs, Sephardic songs, contemporary Israeli music and more.

DATE: Sun., June 3, 1 p.m.

VENUE: Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, 90 Hasell Street

ADMISSION: $10

Tsvey Brider

Diverse idioms, styles and periods contrast and combine in Tsvey Brider (Two Brothers), composed of vocalist Anthony Russell alongside accordionist and pianist Dmitri Gaskin. Tsvey Brider create contemporary and unique interpretations of music in the Yiddish language. Winners of Mexico City’s Concorso Internacional de Canciones en Idish (Der Yidisher Idol), the members of Tsvey Brider have most recently brought their work to Berlin, Warsaw and Krakow.

DATE: Sun., June 3, 3 p.m.

VENUE: Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, 90 Hasell Street

ADMISSION: $15

Chamber Music with Yuriy Bekker and Friends

Enjoy an evening of intimate chamber music by Jewish composers in the beautiful and historic KKBE synagogue. Yuriy will be joined by acclaimed cellist, Cicely Parnas, and piano virtuoso Taisiya Pushkar to perform music of Bernstein and Korngold. Ms. Parnas will also be featured in Bruch’s stunningly gorgeous Kol Nidre, and CSO principal violist, Jan-Marie Joyce, will join the group for a performance of Gustav Mahler’s

Piano Quartet. Music of Israeli composer, Paul Ben-Haim, will also be performed in honor of Israel’s Seventieth anniversary.

DATE: Sun., June 3, 6PM

VENUE: Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, 90 Hasell Street

ADMISSION: $15

Aron Zelkowicz and Friends at BSBI

Cellist Aron Zelkowicz returns to Charleston to present a recital of Jewish-themed chamber music, a genre in which he specializes as the founder and director of the Pittsburgh Jewish Music Festival. In honor of Israel’s 70th anniversary, he will perform works by the influential Ukranian-Israeli cellist and composer Joachim Stutschewsky. The program will also sample from the acclaimed series of “Russian Jewish Classics” albums that Zelkowicz has produced.

DATE: Mon., June 4, 7 p.m.

VENUE: Brith Sholom Beth Israel, 182 Rutledge Avenue

ADMISSION: $10

ISRAELI FILM SERIES IN ARNOLD HALL: ISRAEL AT 70

Enjoy screenings of three Israeli films in their Charleston debut, each depicting a different aspect of Israeli life and culture. Film information is available at piccolospoleto.com or jewish.cofc.edu/events.

VENUE: Arnold Hall, Sylvia Vlosky Yaschik Jewish Studies Center at the College of Charleston

ADDRESS: 96 Wentworth Street

ADMISSION: $10

Sun., June 3, 10 a.m.

Ben-Gurion, Epilogue

In the great depths of the archive, six hours of interview footage was discovered of one of modern history’s greatest leaders – David Ben-Gurion. It is 1968 and he is 82 years old, five years before his death. He lives in his secluded home in the desert, removed from all political discourse, which allows him a hindsight perspective on the Zionist enterprise. Ben-Gurion’s introspective soul searching is the focus of this film, and his clear voice provides a surprising vision for today’s crucial decisions and the future of Israel.

Tue., June 5, 6 p.m.

Israel: A Home Movie

Weaving together stunning home movie footage from the early years of Israel up until the late 70’s, Israel: A Home Movie offers a critical look at the history of the Jewish state. Showing the birth of one nation and the exile of another, the film goes on to capture the development of Israeli society within the first 30 years of the country. The images recount history from a complex Zionist perspective, revealing Israel’s tangled past.

Wed., June 6, 6 p.m.

The Fifth Heaven

In this beautifully made coming-of-age drama, a teenage orphan struggles to adjust to a new life amidst other exiles in 1944 British-controlled Palestine.

Tickets can be purchased by phone at 866.811.4111 or online at www.piccolospoleto.com.