“Prince of Kosher Gospel” to Perform at Lenox High

Joshua Nelson. the "Prince of Kosher Gospel"

Joshua Nelson. the "Prince of Kosher Gospel"

(LENOX, Mass.)  – The 25th anniversary celebration of the Berkshire Jewish Film Festival will feature Joshua Nelson and his Kosher Gospel. This concert will be held on Monday, August 22, 2011, at the Duffin Theater at Lenox Memorial High School at 8 with a dessert reception at 7 before the concert.

Joshua Nelson was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and raised in East Orange, N.J., in an African-American Jewish family, tracing their Jewish heritage to Joshua’s great-grandmother in Senegal. The self-styled “Prince of Kosher Gospel” describes his folk-cultural innovation as the marriage of Jewish religious lyrics and the improvisational sounds of American gospel. For Joshua Nelson, “kosher gospel” claims both parts of his identity as a Black Jew.

Joshua Nelson with Oprah

Joshua Nelson with Oprah

For many years Joshua Nelson was teacher at Temple Sharey Tefilo Israel in South Orange, N.J. He has performed around the world and has appeared with Oprah, the Klezmatics and Aretha Franklin. He has been the subject of a documentary, Keep on Walking, and appears as the Gospel Singer in the film Yankles.

The Berkshire Jewish Film Festival is one of the longest running Jewish film festivals in the U.S. and has presented more than 200 films in the past 25 years.

Tickets are $20 for the concert and reception. All seating is reserved and open to the public. For information and tickets contact Congregation Knesset Israel 413.445.4872, ext 25.

 

 

 

 

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