There are evenings that entertain, and there are evenings that draw everyone in and become something larger than the program itself. Let’s Connect’s Heartstrings: An Evening of Music was very much the latter.

Held on August 25 at Liberty Jewish Center, Heartstrings brought together talented women for an evening of music and inspiration. But from the beginning, the intention was never for the audience simply to sit back and listen. This was music meant to be experienced together.

Sharon Galkin served as the evening’s masterful MC, immediately putting the audience at ease and guiding the program with warmth and humor.

Rebbetzin Chasida Teichman offered words of inspiration, accompanied by violinist Chani Wecker, bringing together spoken reflection and music.

Michelle Anflick performed her original song, Be the One, while Lisa Aronson Friedman and the Kol Zimrah Choir filled the room with songs including Brit Olam, Vehi She’amda, Harioo, and Mah Tovu.

Yet one of the most memorable parts of the evening was what happened beyond the formal program. The audience began to join in.Women were not simply listening to other women sing. They were singing and harmonizing together, and the evening ultimately moved into a shared kumzitz. The distinction between performer and audience gradually became less important because everyone in the room had become part of the experience.

The kumzitz was dedicated in memory of Dina Blaustein ע״ה, adding another layer of meaning to the songs shared together.And by the time the evening concluded with L’Shana Haba’ah B’Yerushalayim, women were not only singing. They were dancing together.

Heartstrings capped a summer of Let’s Connect programming that had included creativity, practical learning, Torah and Jewish history, self-care, games, and now music. The programs were very different from one another, but the thread running through them was the same: creating opportunities for women to come together around experiences that offer connection, growth, discovery, contribution, and purpose.On this evening, that mission could be heard in many voices singing together.