Israel's Yemin Orde Youth Choir sang songs of peace, tolerance, and their love of Israel during a Nov. 1 performance at the Ruth Hyman Jewish Community Center's Axelrod Performing Arts Center in Deal.

More than 400 people attended the program, which was sponsored by the Zobel Foundation in Red Bank and the Jewish Federation of Greater Monmouth County. The performance was the first of a series of events in the federation's year-long celebration of the 60th anniversary of Israel's founding.

The 11-member choir sang Israeli songs and a Hebrew-English version of Imagine by John Lennon. Each number, including the "Yemin Orde Anthem," which was written by a former member of the choir, expressed the group's desire to promote peace and understanding in a world plagued with unrest and violence, choir members told NJ Jewish News.

"When I sing, I get a sense of satisfaction," said Aleksandre Gulisashvili, 17. "When the audience reacts by clapping and applauding, I know we've reached them. They understand our message and our hopes for Israel and the entire world."

Audience reaction also inspires 18-year-old choir member Iuri Souto Leite.

"When I see them smile while we're singing, I know they realize what our music expresses," he said. "Sometimes the audience starts to sing with us. I feel a sense of responsibility when we're on stage. We represent Yemin Orde, and I want to make a good impression."

The group also sang with the 55-member elementary choir of the Hillel Yeshiva School in Ocean and the 15-member junior choir from Congregation B'nai Israel in Rumson. Each local ensemble performed several Israeli songs; both groups returned to the stage at the end of the show and sang "Hatikva" with the Yemin Orde choir.

The federation and the Yemin Orde Youth Village have a special relationship. "It's a melting pot of wonderful young people who are overcoming massive difficulties and molding as a community," said Mike Beller, who cochaired the program. "They have a special place in our hearts and within the Monmouth County Jewish community," he added. The village receives an allocation from the federation's annual campaign, and over the years members of the organization and Yemin Orde have visited each other in Israel and the United States.

Although the choir has performed all over the world, this is the first trip to the United States for the current members.

"I get a little nervous when I go on stage in a new place," said Svetlana Kotsareva, age 18. "But I'm also excited about performing. When I get in touch with the music, the nerves go away but the sense of excitement stays with me."

The choir is part of the Yemin Orde Youth Village, which is located on Mount Carmel near Haifa. It was founded in 1953 by Dr. Chaim Peri and has been the home and school for more than 500 disadvantaged and immigrant youth from 20 countries.

Almost half the village's residents come from dysfunctional homes, and many arrive at Yemin Orde with severe emotional and behavioral problems and learning disabilities. Participating in the choir, whose members are between the ages of 15 and 18, has helped them overcome many of the traumas they have experienced in their young lives, said Sigal Kanotofsky, the choir's presenter.

"Troubled children often can't envision a future for themselves," Kanotofsky told NJ Jewish News. "But music and song have a healing effect, and when the choir members come together and sing about friendship and hope, it's magical. Through song, they are expressing a desire to mend the world — it's a form of tikun olam that has become a central part of their lives."

The inspirational songs also lay a cornerstone for living in peace, added Jacky Wershbale, director of development at Friends of Yemin Orde in Washington, DC. Wershbale accompanied the choir during their visit to Monmouth County.

"The songs bring messages of peace, love, and joy," Wershbale told NJ Jewish News. "As the choir members learn about these concepts, they become empowered and are able to overcome their past and build a strong Israel. We envision them becoming the future leaders of the Israeli state."

Ronen Lan-Rieder, who has been Yemin Orde's musical director for the past 11 years, accompanies the choir on guitar during their performances. He also helped the group produce The Spirit of Yemin Orde, a CD that contains Israeli folk classics and new songs written by choir members.

"As a musician and producer, I've worked with kids with different accents and different cultures," Lan-Rieder said. "It's a challenge, but music is like glue — it brings people together. These young people put their hearts and souls into the music, and you can feel it happening. They have become a musical family."