Shalom Chor Berlin was founded in 1994 as a collaboration between the choir of the Steglitz Baptist Church and Estrongo Nachama, who at the time and until his death in 2000 was senior cantor of the Berlin Jewish Community. The choir also received valuable inspiration from its collaboration with Harry Foss, then organist of the Berlin Jewish Community, and Cantor Avitall Gerstetter.

The choir’s first director was Elisabeth Liebig. In October 2004, after ten years at the helm, she handed over this task to Regina Yantian, who was able to win Cantor Isaac Sheffer as soloist. She conducted the choir until the beginning of 2011.

In 2011, Cantor Nikola David took over the artistic direction and further development of the choir and participated in numerous concerts as tenor soloist.

From May 2015 to June 2022, the choir was in the hands of Israeli-born Cantor Assaf Levitin. He not only gave the Shalom Choir a new timbre, but also took on the solo parts with his powerful baritone.

Since June 2022, baritone, flutist and cantor Hemi Levison has been directing the choir. We look forward to a new musical journey.

The choir consists of about 30 singers, many of whom are at home in various church congregations or the Jewish community. In addition to regular concerts in Berlin and numerous other German cities, performances in Israel and at the 2013 European Jewish Choir Festival in Vienna have been among the choir’s musical highlights over the years. In addition to 19th-century synagogue music, the choir’s repertoire includes traditional liturgical and Hasidic tunes as well as contemporary songs from Israel.

We offer free weekly voice training and voice group work with experienced voice trainer and tenor Daniel Steiner.