Westfield Couple to be Honored at Benefit Concert

The audience will be treated to an eclectic mix of musical traditions when the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and David Krakauer, guest solo clarinetist, perform at the 16th Annual UJA Benefit Concert at 3 p.m. The event will take place on Sunday, April 21, at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. A community dessert reception will precede the concert at 2. This year’s honorees are dedicated UJA supporters Dr. Dorothy and Gerry Cantor of Westfield.

Musical selections will include Appalachian Spring (Copland), Clarinet Concerto (Mozart), Synagogue Wail(Traditional), and Der Heyser Bulgar (Traditional).

Performing under the baton of Stefan Sanderling, Krakauer occupies the unique position of being one of the world’s leading exponents of Eastern European Jewish klezmer music, and at the same time is a major voice in classical music. He recently did extensive international touring with the multi-genre super group Abraham Inc. that he co-leads with funk legend Fred Wesley and hip-hop renegade Socalled.

In addition, Krakauer is in demand worldwide as a guest soloist with the finest ensembles including the Emerson, Orion and Kronos string quartets. Krakauer’s discography includes six CDs under his own name plus collaborations with, among others, the Klezmatics and Itzak Perlman. His unique sound can be heard as soloist in Danny Elfman's score for the film Taking Woodstock and throughout The Tango Lesson.

The concert benefits the work of Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ (Federation), which encompasses Essex, Morris, Sussex, Union, and parts of Somerset County. Through its network of 27 local and 4 overseas partners, Federation creates a safety net for the Jewish and larger community in Greater MetroWest, Israel, and in 70 countries around the world by providing family crisis and mental health counseling; vocational counseling, supportive services for seniors, people of all ages with disabilities, and women in abusive relationships; and advocacy on important public policy issues and assaults on Israel’s legitimacy.

A stockbroker with Merrill Lynch in Short Hills, Mr. Cantor twice served as president of Jewish Federation of Central NJ and was the first lay president of the Interfaith Council for the Homeless of Union County, which was honored with a Presidential Points-of-Light Recognition from President George H.W. Bush. He also received the Prudential National Pacesetter Award in Volunteerism. A voting delegate and committee chair of the Jewish Agency Assembly in Israel for over 20 years, Mr. Cantor is co-chair of the Ness Fund, which supports economic development in the Negev region of Israel, and a past president of the Board of Trustees of Rutgers University Hillel. In his spare time, he is an actor and member of the Screen Actors Guild/AFTRA.

Chair-elect of the Board of Trustees of Rutgers University, Dr. Cantor is a psychologist with a private practice in Westfield and president of the American Psychological Foundation. She was recently inducted into the Rutgers University Hall of Distinguished Alumni as a graduate of its Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology. The 105th president of the American Psychological Association (APA), Dr. Cantor is a past president of the New Jersey Psychological Association and a co-founder of Women in Psychology for Legislative Action, a national PAC. Author of Finding Your Voice, and What Do You Want to Do When You Grow Up?, she has appeared as an expert on countless television shows.

The NJSO, now in its 90th season, annually presents classical, pops, and family subscription concerts, as well as summer parks performances, special concerts, and events. The NJSO brings the symphonic-music experience to more than 150,000 people each year and reaches thousands more through radio broadcasts.

Tickets are $20-$88. Tickets can be purchased directly by calling (973) 624-3713 or by visitingnjsymphony.org/uja. For more information, visit www.jfedgmw.org/concert or call (973) 929-2969.

Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ stands at the center of a network of partner agencies dedicated to providing comprehensive social services and meeting the educational, vocational, recreational, and social needs of Jews locally, in Israel, and in 70 countries around the world. Responding to emergency and disaster situations around the world is another important part of the Federation mission.

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra is comprised of some of the country’s finest musicians. Artistic excellence, innovative programming and community engagement are hallmarks of its mission. NJSO programs are made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, along with many other foundations, corporations and individual donors. www.njsymphony.org.