From the blog of Avi Meyerstein at The Times of Israel

🎤✊🏽 Introducing “Standing Together,” a new global youth anthem. The Jerusalem Youth Chorus and Uniting Voices Chicago teamed up with the grassroots movement Standing Together to share our stories, our visions, and our determination to build a better future - together. 🎤✊🏽 מציגים את "עומדים ביחד" - המנון נוער עולמי חדש. מקהלת הנוער הירושלמית ו-Uniting Voices Chicago התאחדו עם התנועה העממית עומדים ביחד כדי לשתף את הסיפורים שלנו, החזון שלנו, והנחישות שלנו לבנות עתיד טוב יותר - ביחד. 🎤✊🏽 نقدم لكم "نقف معاً" - نشيد شبابي عالمي جديد. جوقة الشبيبة المقدسية و Uniting Voices Chicago اتحدوا مع الحركة الشعبية "نقف معاً" لنشارك قصصنا، رؤيتنا، وإصرارنا على أن نبني مستقبلاً أفضل - معاً. Who are we, and what is the story of this song? The Jerusalem Youth Chorus (JYC) (jerusalemyouthchorus.org) is an Israeli-Palestinian music and dialogue project raising the voices of young leaders from East and West Jerusalem to the global stages of America’s Got Talent, TED, and beyond. Through the co-creation of music and the sharing of stories, JYC empowers young singers from East and West Jerusalem to speak and sing their truths as they become leaders in their communities and inspire singers and listeners around the world to join in building peace, justice, inclusion, and equality. Even in times of war, JYC continues to meet, and its singers’ commitment to each other, and the power of their voices raised in harmony, has only grown. Founded in 1956 and inspired by the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement, Uniting Voices Chicago (unitingvoiceschicago.org) (formerly Chicago Children’s Choir) is rooted in the belief that music is the most powerful vehicle for fostering mutual understanding and respect between young people of all races, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, religions, gender identities and sexual orientations. Since its founding, Uniting Voices Chicago (UVC) has grown from a single choir into an internationally renowned network of in-school and after-school programs that serve thousands of students across the city of Chicago every year. UVC offers a performance-based learning experience that includes innovative creative partnerships and artistic endeavors—from regular appearances at Lyric Opera and Ravinia Festival to features on high caliber recording projects such as Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book and The Big Day. “Standing Together” came about as JYC and UVC brought their singers together from across the world in a much-anticipated reunion - and this original song was born. Music has been at the core of social movements throughout history - so the choruses reached out to Standing Together (standing-together.org), the largest Jewish-Palestinian grassroots movement in Israel fighting for an end to the Occupation, peace, equality, and social and climate justice, to offer this song as a soundtrack for their work building real power. Join us by sharing this musical call to action - and add your voice to the chorus of people all over the world fighting for freedom, equality, justice, and peace. Credits: Music & Lyrics by W. Mitchell Owens, III, the Jerusalem Youth Chorus, and Uniting Voices Chicago Executive Producers: Josephine Lee and Micah Hendler Cinematography & Video Editing: Chris Markos, with additional footage from We are Kin Media and David King Audio production: W. Mitchell Owens, III, Jeff Breakey, Ed Boyer With gratitude to the One America Movement for supporting the reunion of JYC and UVC in July 2024 as part of the Faith Over Division tour.

From the blog of Avi Meyerstein at The Times of Israel

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